World celebrates ceasefire deal but Gaza remains under attack

Two years after the relentless bloodshed in Gaza, another attempt at achieving a ceasefire has been made, with Hamas and Israel agreeing to the first phase of implementing US President Donald Trump’s peace pact.

In the initial stage, all Israeli hostages will be released by Hamas, while the Palestinian resistance group has also submitted a list of hostages to be freed by Tel Aviv. Israeli forces will withdraw to a designated point inside Gaza.

Hamas urged mediators to ensure that Israel abides by all clauses agreed upon during the negotiations. A photograph of the Israeli and Palestinian delegations surfaced online, showing Turkish and Qatari officials congratulating each other during the meeting held in Egypt.

Trump announced the agreement on his social media site, Truth Social. He was informed about the success of the negotiations for the first phase while speaking at an event, when Secretary Marco Rubio leaned in and handed him a note.

“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!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

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,…

— Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) October 8, 2025

Netanyahu hailed the deal as a moral victory for Israel and praised Trump during what was described as an “emotional call” with him. He also invited Trump to address the Israeli Knesset.

Shortly after the ceasefire deal, Israeli drones and bombardments fell silent in Gaza, and Palestinians rejoiced, celebrating the long-awaited moment. However, the calm was short-lived.

Soon after, Israeli occupation forces launched attacks on refugee camps in western Gaza, and explosions were reported in the Sabra neighborhood, according to Al Jazeera.

How long and how committed Israel will remain to halting its bombardment and shelling of Gaza remains to be seen. The ceasefire achieved earlier in January was blatantly violated by Israeli forces, and since then, over 20,000 Palestinians have been killed. The total death toll of the genocide has reached 67,183, with 169,841 wounded since October 2023.