President Donald Trump announced on Oct. 8 that Israel and Hamas have agreed to implement the first phase of a peace deal aimed at ending the two-year conflict.

"This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America," Trump said in a Truth Social post.

Leaders from Israel, Hamas and mediator Qatar subsequently confirmed the deal.

"An agreement was reached on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid," Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al-Ansari wrote on X.

The agreement comes after multiple failed attempts to defuse the two-year-old war that began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 people hostage.

Israel's response to the attack has increasingly drawn criticism worldwide, including a United Nations report issued in September that concluded that Israel committed genocide in Gaza. Israel's military campaign in response has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Here's what we know about the apparent peace deal between Israel and Hamas:

What are the details of the deal?

Al-Ansari, of Qatar, wrote on X Oct. 8 that the details of the deal would be announced at a later date.

The first phase of Trump's plan called for the release of Israeli hostages within 72 hours of an agreement in exchange for the release of Palestinians jailed in Israel.

Once every hostage has been released, Trump's plan said Hamas members who agree to give up their weapons would receive amnesty. It also called for the immediate restoration of humanitarian aid.

Al Jazeera quoted a statement from Hamas saying that the organization had "submitted lists of Palestinian prisoners to Israel," according to the criteria agreed upon in the (ceasefire) agreement."

Hostages are likely to begin to be released on Monday, Oct. 13, although they could be returned sooner, U.S. officials have said. Trump said he expected their release to come on Monday or Tuesday. Of the 48 remaining hostages in Gaza, 20 are believed to be alive.

The U.S. knows where most of the living hostages are, Trump said at an Oct. 9 Cabinet meeting. "The bodies are a bigger problem, because some of the bodies are going to be a little bit hard to find," the president said of the roughly 28 who are assumed to be deceased.

Trump did not spell out what the next phase of the Middle East deal would look like. But he indicated it would follow the 20-point plan he released at the end of September.

"There will be disarming, there will be pullbacks, there will be a lot of things that are happening," Trump said. "I think you could end up with peace in the Middle East."

He also said the U.S. would be working with "immensely wealthy countries" to rebuild Gaza. He declined to take a stance on an independent Palestinian state, telling journalists during his Cabinet meeting, "I don't have a view, I'm going to go with what they agree to."

Will the Trump-brokered deal end the war?

The deal appears to be a step toward ending the brutal conflict. However, a previous ceasefire during negotiations to end the conflict fell apart in March.

Israel conducted airstrikes into the battered enclave on March 18 that ended a truce that began in January.

Al Jazeera reported that Israel continued operations following the announcement, including fighter jets that have bombed western areas of Gaza City, striking at least one house in al-Shati camp and an armored vehicle laden with explosives near homes south of Gaza City. No casualties have been reported.

Israeli military Arabic Spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned Gaza residents in an X post that "the area north of the Gaza Valley is still considered a dangerous combat zone" shortly after 5 a.m. in Jerusalem on Oct. 9.

Response in Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X that he would convene the government to approve the deal on Oct. 9, calling it "a great day for Israel."

The Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement to the Jerusalem Post that it welcomed the agreement but remained ready for "any scenario."

"During a situation assessment held last night, the Chief of Staff instructed all forces on all fronts to prepare strong defensive measures," the Israeli military said in the statement.

Families and supporters in Tel Aviv's Hostage Square celebrated news of Hamas' acceptance of Trump's deal. Dozens of people and TV cameras flooded the square at 4 a.m. local time. The plaza has been occupied for 734 days since Hamas' brutal attack, during which militants kidnapped 251 people.

Among those in the crowd were former hostages Emily Damari and Omer Shem Tov. "You feel happiness and pressure, because until you have reached your mother and hugged her, it hasn't happened," Shem Tov told I24 News.

Hamas' response

Hamas has appeared willing to hand over governance of Gaza to a coalition of Palestinian technocrats as part of the plan. It has been less willing to completely disarm and commit to playing no future role in the governance of Gaza.

In a statement, the group thanked Trump for his efforts to end the war and bring about a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

"Our people's sacrifices will not be in vain, and that we will remain faithful to our pledge and will not abandon our people’s national rights: to achieve freedom, independence, and self-determination," a statement posted to Telegram said, according to Reuters.

Israeli news outlet Walla reported that four prisoners demanded by Hamas – Marwan Barghouti, Ahmed Sa'adat, Hassan Salameh and Abbas al-Sayed – will not be released as part of the deal.

U.N. Secretary General praises peace agreement

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said in a statement on X that he welcomed the deal and commended the diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey.

He pledged that the U.N. would support the implementation of the deal and ramp up humanitarian aid.

"The stakes have never been higher," Guterres wrote.

American voices praise deal with varying enthusiasm

House Speaker Mike Johnson credited Trump for the peace deal.

"Through strength and conviction, he’s accomplished what others have only talked about: bringing hostages home, security for Israel, and laying the groundwork for lasting peace in the Middle East," Johnson wrote on X.

House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast, R-Florida, said in a statement on Oct. 8 that Trump had brought the world closer than it’s ever been to peace in Gaza. "This deal only works if Hamas follows through," he added. "We don’t trust terrorists, we trust results.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the agreement brings a huge sigh of relief to the hostages' families.

"We must begin the even harder work of closing negotiations: to end the war, to start building the day after in Gaza without Hamas, to surge humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza, and to build a lasting peace that ensures security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians alike," Schumer said in a statement.

Pro-Israel Democratic Sen. John Fetterman praised the deal on X, calling it historic. "Now, enduring peace in the region is possible," the Pennsylvania senator wrote.

Jewish anti-Zionist organization Jewish Voice for Peace said in a statement that it looks forward to the release of both Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, but it noted that the deal does not address what it called the "root cause of injustice."

"While a ceasefire does not bring an end to the genocide, right now we are holding tightly to the hope that Israel will, in fact, finally be compelled to the first elements of this agreement: halting the mass killing of Palestinians through bombardment, and stopping its blockade of food and medicine," the organization wrote.

Requests for comment to Democratic representatives Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, each of whom has been critical of Israel and supportive of the Palestinian cause, did not give a response by the late evening of Oct. 8.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel and Hamas agreed to a peace deal. Here's what we know.

Reporting by James Powel, Francesca Chambers and Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect