Hamas has agreed to a peace deal pushed by President Donald Trump to end the war in Gaza and return the hostages, two years after the terrorist network attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking not only the bloodiest day for Jews since the Holocaust, but a deadly war and a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday to make the announcement: «I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!»

Shortly after Trump’s announcement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office put out a statement from the Israeli leader that said, «With God’s help we will bring them all home.»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week agreed to the U.S.’s 20-point plan that would see the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of all 48 hostages still held, 21 of whom are still assessed to be alive, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

TRUMP UNVEILS 20-POINT PLAN TO SECURE PEACE IN GAZA, INCLUDING GRANTING SOME HAMAS MEMBERS ‘AMNESTY’

The exact terms of the agreement – which Israeli and Hamas negotiators traveled to Egypt to hash out on Monday – remain unclear. Though under the original agreement, Hamas would have to completely disarm in exchange for Israel’s military operation to end, more humanitarian aid for Palestinians would be pushed into the enclave, and planning the reconstruction of Gaza could begin. 

Hamas, under the terms, would also have been granted «amnesty» for those who willingly give up their arms, and once all the hostages have been returned, Israel would release «250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after Oct. 7th, 2023.»

All the hostages were also supposed to be freed within 72-hours of an agreement being reached – though Hamas on Saturday signaled this may be unrealistic as it claims some of the deceased are believed to be buried under rubble. 

Hamas appeared to agree to part of the original terms presented by the Trump administration. But it also signaled over the weekend that it had concerns over its disarmament and the trustworthiness of Israel not to re-engage with its military ambitions once the hostages are returned. 

Specifics on various aspects of the original deal remain ambiguous, including on the international «Board of Peace» that would be headed by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to oversee Gaza’s administration and reconstruction.

Trump said last week that «leaders from other countries» would be named to the board later. 

Hamas terrorists stand in formation as Palestinians gather on a street to watch the handover of three Israeli hostages to a Red Cross team in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on Feb. 8, 2025. (Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The 20-point blueprint also said that Gaza Strip for the foreseeable future «will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza.»

The plan, which has been backed by Middle Eastern and Arab nations, was presented to Hamas late last month by mediators from Qatar and Egypt.

Though both nations – along with several new Western nations making up 157 of the 193 UN member states – support Palestinian statehood, the plan did not directly pave a path for how that could be accomplished.

A separate panel of experts, «who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East,» would develop an economic reconstruction plan. 

NETANYAHU APOLOGIZED FOR AIRSTRIKES DURING ‘HEART-TO-HEART’ WITH QATARI LEADER, TRUMP SAYS

People take part in a protest outside US Embassy Branch demanding the end of the war and immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Tel Aviv, Saturday, July 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

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Despite previous concerns over comments made by Trump and his administration, no one would be forced to leave under the U.S.’s latest plan, which also prevents Israel from annexing Gaza.

Instead, according to the terms of the deal released last week by the White House, «We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.»

Trump warned that if Hamas did not agree to the deal, Israel would have the full backing of the U.S. to carry out its operational plans in Gaza. 

El presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump, anunció este miércoles un acuerdo de alto el fuego en Gaza. También aseguró que todos los rehenes serán liberados “pronto”. Hamas dijo que se alcanzó un “acuerdo que prevé el fin de la guerra en Gaza”.

“Estoy muy orgulloso de anunciar que Israel y Hamas han aprobado la primera fase de nuestro Plan de Paz. Esto significa que TODOS los rehenes serán liberados muy pronto e Israel retirará sus tropas a una línea acordada como primer paso hacia una paz fuerte, duradera y eterna. ¡Todas las Partes serán tratadas justamente!“, afirmó.

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Además, dijo: “Este es un GRAN Día para el mundo árabe y musulmán, Israel, todas las naciones circundantes y los Estados Unidos de América, y agradecemos a los mediadores de Qatar, Egipto y Turquía, que trabajaron con nosotros para hacer realidad este evento histórico y sin precedentes. ¡BENDITOS LOS QUE HACEN LA PAZ!“.

Casi en simultáneo, el primer ministro israelí, Benjamin Netanyahu, afirmó en una declaración: “Con la ayuda de Dios los traeremos a todos a casa”, dijo en referencia a las personas secuestradas en Gaza.

Según The Israel Times, el acuerdo se firmará el jueves en Egipto y Hamas liberará a todos los rehenes el sábado.

El cese el fuego pone fin a dos años de guerra iniciada hace dos años y un día tras el brutal ataque de Hamas en el sur de Israel el 7 de octubre de 2023 que dejó más de 1200 muertos y 240 secuestrados.

La posterior ofensiva israelí sobre Gaza causó la muerte de más de 65.000 palestinos, según el ministerio de Salud gazatí, controlado por Hamas. La cifra es compartida por la ONU, que además denunció genocidio y una hambruna en el enclave.

Qué pasó en las negociaciones en Egipto

El anuncio se conoció esta noche después de tres días de negociaciones entre Israel y el grupo islámico Hamas, bajo la mediación de un grupo de enviados internacionales de Estados Unidos, Qatar, Egipto y Turquía.

Las tratativas comenzaron el lunes en el balneario egipcio de Sharm el Sheik, en el Mar Rojo.

El portavoz del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Qatar, Majed al—Ansari, afirmó en X: “Los mediadores anuncian que esta noche se llegó a un acuerdo sobre todas las disposiciones y mecanismos de implementación de la primera fase del acuerdo de alto el fuego de Gaza, lo que llevará a poner fin a la guerra, la liberación de rehenes israelíes y prisioneros palestinos, y la entrada de ayuda”.

“Los detalles serán anunciados más tarde”, agregó, citado por The Israel Times.

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El anuncio de Trump se refiere a una primera fase del acuerdo de 20 puntos elaborado por el presidente estadounidense.

El primer paso del pacto establece el intercambio de prisioneros palestinos por los 48 rehenes en poder de Hamas y otras facciones en Gaza. Se cree que solo una veintena de ellos estarían con vida. En ese grupo hay tres argentinos, Eitan Horn, Ariel y David Cunio. También se encuentra en Gaza el cuerpo de Lior Rudaeff, asesinado en el ataque del 7 de octubre.

Este miércoles temprano Hamas entregó a Israel una lista de los prisioneros palestinos a ser intercambiados por los cautivos.

Donald Trump planea viajar a Medio Oriente

Poco antes, Trump había anunciado su deseo de viajar a Medio Oriente antes del fin de semana.

“Es posible que vaya allí en algún momento hacia el final de la semana, tal vez el domingo, de hecho”, señaló Trump a periodistas en la Casa Blanca. “Probablemente nos iremos el domingo, tal vez el sábado”, aclaró antes de conocerse el acuerdo.

Trump dijo que acababa de hablar por teléfono con funcionarios en Medio Oriente, donde su enviado especial Steve Witkoff y su yerno Jared Kushner acababan de unirse a las discusiones en Egipto.

Noticia que está siendo actualizada.-

Nearly half of the IRS workforce — nearly 34,000 employees — faces furloughs as the government shutdown enters its second week, with the agency rolling out a contingency plan to keep key tax enforcement, data security, and filing-season operations running despite the lapse in congressional funding.

In a letter to staff Wednesday, the agency said most operations would shut down. The contingency plan, which takes effect Wednesday and runs through April 30, 2026, details how the IRS will operate without new congressional funding.

As of July 24, 2025, the IRS employed 74,299 people. During the shutdown, only 39,870 — about 54% — will stay on duty, though it’s unclear which positions will be retained.

Key operations that will continue to include tax processing to safeguard government revenue, IT and data-protection systems, criminal investigations, case work involving bankruptcies and liens, and disaster-relief support. However, taxpayer services — including call centers and most administrative functions not tied to life or property protection — will be suspended.

ICE VOWS ‘NO CHANGE’ TO IMMIGRATION, BORDER POLICY AMID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

The IRS’s Lapse Appropriations Contingency Plan outlined operations for the first five business days of the shutdown and said the agency would continue limited operations using Inflation Reduction Act funding.

The furloughs stem from a funding impasse between President Donald Trump and Congress that has forced a government shutdown with no clear resolution.

HERE’S WHAT TRUMP WANTS TO DO TO RESHAPE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DURING THE SHUTDOWN

Nearly half of the IRS workforce — nearly 34,000 employees — faces furloughs as the government shutdown enters its second week. (Fox News Digital/Emma Woodhead)

National Treasury Employees Union President Doreen Greenwald said the shutdown has cut off Americans from vital IRS services.

«Expect increased wait times, backlogs and delays implementing tax law changes as the shutdown continues,» she said. «Taxpayers around the country will now have a much harder time getting the assistance they need, just as they get ready to file their extension returns due next week. Every day these employees are locked out of work is another day of frustration for taxpayers and a growing backlog of work that sits and waits for the shutdown to end.

SEN RICK SCOTT, REP BYRON DONALDS: TRUMP AND BESSENT’S IRS REFORM: LET’S END JOB-KILLING POLICIES

A sign outside the National Gallery of Art informs visitors of its closure due to the government shutdown in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

«For frontline employees, the complete lack of planning left them in the dark about their work status until their supervisor informed them today,» Greenwald added. «This is not the way our government should treat its dedicated, nonpartisan public servants. We urge the administration and Congress to reach an agreement that reopens government and restores the services that Americans need and deserve.»

According to The Associated Press, the IRS told employees they would receive back pay once the shutdown ends. The Trump administration warned Tuesday that back pay for furloughed federal employees is not guaranteed.

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Earlier this year, the IRS began a series of workforce reductions that brought total employment down from about 100,000 at the end of 2024 to roughly 75,000 before the shutdown.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.