Israel agrees to end brutal Gaza war after 734 heartbreaking days

Israel's government has sensationally backed a ceasefire and hostage swap arrangement with Hamas, arriving just days after the nation commemorated two years since the horrific October 7 massacre.

Benjamin Netanyahu's administration dropped the bombshell on Thursday that cabinet members had delivered their final backing to the contentious pact following a brutal 734 days of warfare.

In a dramatic statement, the Israeli Prime Minister's office confirmed: "The government has just now approved the framework for the release of all of the hostages - the living and the deceased.", reports the Daily Mail. The news comes as Trump casts doubt on Hamas disarmament after Gaza ceasefire.

Far-right minister threatens coalition collapse

The decision was rammed through despite explosive opposition from national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who launched a scathing attack on the arrangement.

The Jewish Power party chief had vowed earlier he would reject the pact and issued a devastating ultimatum that he could torpedo Netanyahu's coalition government if Hamas's "rule was not dismantled".

"In conversations held between me and the prime minister in recent days, I made it clear that under no circumstances will I be part of a government that allows the continued existence of Hamas's rule in Gaza," Ben-Gvir said.

"This is a glaring red line. The prime minister committed to me that this will be the case."

Troops to withdraw as hostages return

The truce will be activated within 24 hours of the cabinet session, with Israeli forces also set to retreat from Gaza along a pre-determined boundary.

The terror group will surrender the surviving and deceased Israeli captives within 72 hours following that deadline. After their return home, Israel will set free 250 Palestinians imprisoned for life and 1,700 Gazans detained since October 7.

The dramatic development emerged after Trump's bombshell declaration on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had struck agreement on the opening stage of a ceasefire, following days of behind-the-scenes negotiations in Egypt.

Trump wrote on Truth Social: "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."

International leaders welcome breakthrough

Qatar, which orchestrated the agreement alongside Egypt and Turkey, described it as the "first phase" of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war.

In Britain, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised the breakthrough as a "moment of profound relief that will be felt around the world".

The Trump-brokered arrangement will see Hamas surrender all surviving captives, both living and dead, in return for approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees. At the same time, Israeli defence forces will commence a pullback from large swathes of Gaza.

Emotional phone call with hostage families

The previous evening, the American president connected with relatives of those imprisoned by the terror organisation in a telephone conversation with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

With Trump on speakerphone, Lutnick asked the families: "You have the best crowd in the world, what do you have to say to President Trump?" The entire group of about a dozen people responded: "Thank you!"

"Thank you very much everybody," responded Trump, as one of the family members exclaimed: "You did it!"

Cabinet meeting delayed amid prisoner list talks

The security cabinet session was pushed back by several hours, having been initially scheduled to convene at 17:00 local time (15:00 BST).

One factor behind the hold-up was continuing negotiations over the roster of Palestinian security detainees due for release, Channel 12 reported.

A total of 48 captives remain imprisoned in Gaza, with 20 thought to still be living.

The American president claimed he expected that all the captives - including those who have perished - will be "coming back" on Monday.

Trump to visit Jerusalem as deal takes effect

The U.S. leader is scheduled to touch down in Jerusalem on Sunday, Israel's presidential office confirmed, after he announced Israel and Hamas had struck a Gaza ceasefire and hostage liberation agreement.

A scheduled event at the Israeli president's residence in Jerusalem for Sunday was scrapped "in light of the expected release of the hostages, and... the upcoming visit of President of the United States Donald J. Trump to Israel," the office of Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement on Thursday.

"The decision was made due to anticipated security closures in Jerusalem surrounding the visit and the historic developments unfolding in the coming days."

When quizzed about whether his Middle East trip could encompass Gaza, Trump said: "I may do that."

Deal includes aid trucks and displaced persons return

The parties involved put their signatures to a final draft of phase one this morning.

A senior Hamas official revealed to AFP that Israel will free nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees: 250 among those serving life sentences and 1,700 others detained since the start of the war.

The swap is scheduled to occur within 72 hours of the agreement's activation, which was also "agreed with Palestinian factions", another source within Hamas said.

A baseline of 400 aid lorries will roll into the Gaza Strip daily for the opening five days of the truce, with numbers rising in subsequent days, the same source indicated.

The arrangement also ensures the "return of displaced persons from the south of the Gaza Strip to Gaza (City) and the north immediately," they added.

The pact lays out "scheduled withdrawals" of Israeli troops, the Hamas top official said, and includes "guarantees from President Trump and the mediators".

Hamas demands full implementation

The terror group issued an official statement calling on Trump to force Israel to fully implement the agreement and "not allow it to evade or procrastinate in implementing what has been agreed".

Netanyahu had revealed overnight that he would be gathering cabinet members Thursday to rubber-stamp a blueprint for the captives' liberation.

He said on social media: "With God's help we will bring them all home."

The Israeli leader branded the agreement "a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel".

The captive-prisoner swap is due to unfold within 72 hours of the Israeli government ballot approving the arrangement, an official told the Daily Mail.

Coalition fractures over peace deal

Israel's security cabinet backed the agreement, even though particular members of Netanyahu's far-right coalition have fiercely resisted any peace pact with Hamas.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced his far-right Religious Zionism party would not vote in support of a Gaza ceasefire.

He wrote on X of his "tremendous fear of the consequences of emptying the prisons and releasing the next generation of terrorist leaders, who will do everything to continue spilling rivers of Jewish blood, God forbid".

The previous evening, Trump declared the world "coming together" had helped forge his landmark deal between Israel and Hamas.

The president hailed it as "a great day for the world" as he envisioned a prosperous future for the war torn area.