US President Donald Trump announced that the war in Gaza is over, expressing confidence that the recently brokered ceasefire agreement will hold, following what he described as “many verbal guarantees” from the parties involved.

While speaking to reporters, Trump highlighted the strength of the US-backed truce facilitated with support from Egypt and Qatar, describing the scale of devastation in Gaza as a "wreckage," referencing to the widespread destruction caused by two years of Israeli aggression.

Still, he expressed optimism about the near future, assuring that things would be fine. 

Prisoner release may happen sooner than expected

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Regarding the ongoing prisoner exchange negotiations, Trump revealed that the release of captives may occur earlier than expected, signaling progress in implementing the terms of the agreement reached in Cairo under the sponsorship of Egypt and Qatar, with direct US involvement.

Trump publicly praised Qatar’s mediation efforts, saying that Qatar deserves the credit, also commending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his role in advancing the agreement, saying he had done “a good job” in managing the deal.

Hamas prepares final phase of prisoner exchange

In a related development, AFP quoted a source close to the negotiations in Cairo confirming that Hamas has finalized preparations to hand over the remaining Israeli captives as part of the anticipated prisoner exchange.

According to the same source, Hamas is insisting that the deal include the release of seven prominent Palestinian leaders detained in Israeli prisons. These include:

Marwan Barghouti
Ahmed Saadat
Ibrahim Hamed
Abbas al-Sayed, among others.

The proposed exchange is considered a critical step in solidifying the ceasefire and paving the way for potential broader agreements on reconstruction and de-escalation.