President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have formally agreed to the first phase of a U.S.-backed peace plan.

Trump said Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a peace deal that includes an Israeli troop withdrawal to a designated line and the release of all hostages. He described the development as a major step toward lasting peace in the region.

“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, and Everlasting Peace,” Trump wrote.

The deal was brokered with the help of Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey.

“All Parties will be treated fairly! 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 continued.

Prior to the official announcement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was caught leaning toward  Trump and passing him a handwritten note during a White House briefing. A photo shows Rubio whispering to the president while delivering the message, which urged him to approve a Truth Social post so he could announce the Middle East deal first.

“You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first,” the note said, as seen on the photo.

Hamas said Friday it was open to releasing the remaining hostages and stepping aside from power under Trump’s proposed ceasefire, contingent on support from other Palestinian factions and regional partners. The group said more talks were needed before final terms could be reached.

Trump later said the development is a major turning point and he praised allied nations for helping pressure Hamas into talks. (RELATED: Marco Rubio Passes Trump A Note With News About Middle East Deal)

“I just want to let you know that this is a very special day, maybe unprecedented in many ways. It is unprecedented, but thank you all and thank you all to those great countries that helped! We were given a tremendous amount of help. Everybody was unified in wanting this war to end and seeing peace in the Middle East. And we’re very close to achieving that,” Trump said.

Hamas would be required to free all hostages at once and hand over Gaza’s administration to an “International Stabilization Force” that Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will lead. Palestinian experts would also have a role in the transitional governing body.

Gaza residents have increasingly urged Hamas to accept the plan amid a worsening humanitarian crisis. More than 33,000 people have been displaced by Israeli operations, and nearly 25% of the population faces famine, according to United Nations data.

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