Pres. Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to first phase of Gaza peace deal

Peace Agreement - An initial peace plan between Israel and Hamas has been agreed upon, with the first phase involving the release of all hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops to an agreed-upon line [1][2] - The White House expects the deal to go to the Israeli cabinet for a vote, followed by Israel withdrawing to an agreed-upon area within 24 hours of a yes vote, and Hamas releasing hostages within 72 hours, with hostage release expected to begin on Monday [3] - The President is considering traveling to the region, potentially including Egypt, to participate in events surrounding the end of the war [4] Potential Obstacles - Domestic Israeli political opinion is a significant factor to be wary of, potentially posing stumbling blocks to the peace process [5][6] - There have been many false starts on Middle East peace in the past, making this a tricky and intractable problem [7] - The military reality on the ground for Hamas, including their leadership, command and control, and military resources, is a key question [7][8] Perspectives - Netanyahu told President Trump that he is extraordinarily popular now as a result of this deal [8] - Washington has cautious optimism regarding the peace deal [10]