Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed news of a phase-one agreement under U.S. President Donald Trump's announced "Gaza peace initiative."
According to foreign media on the 9th (local time), Netanyahu called the day "a great day for Israel," adding, "With God's help, we will bring all the hostages home."
Netanyahu said, "I sincerely thank President Trump and his team for dedicating themselves to this sacred mission of freeing the hostages." He also highlighted the roles of Trump's eldest son-in-law Jared Kushner, former White House senior adviser, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, saying "the two finalized the negotiations."
On the same day, Netanyahu convened a cabinet meeting, signaling swift follow-up steps, including saying he would approve the phase-one deal with Hamas.
Earlier, Trump wrote on his social media (SNS) platform Truth Social, "I am proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both agreed to phase one of our peace plan." According to Trump, the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw its forces to the agreed lines.
The release of the hostages is expected on the 11th or 12th.