Overview

• President Trump wrote on Truth Social that Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of a U.S.-brokered plan, saying hostages would be released soon and Israeli troops would pull back to an agreed line.
• An Associated Press image captured Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s handwritten message urging Trump to approve a prepared post so he could announce the deal first.
• Trump told attendees at a White House roundtable that a note said negotiators were very close to a Middle East deal and that he would be needed shortly.
• The push to announce came during U.S.-led talks in Egypt involving American advisers and officials from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey working on cease-fire and hostage-release sequencing.
• Outlets report the announcement followed calls with senior advisers, and the plan’s first phase still requires formal ratification and on-the-ground implementation.