Image source, Getty Images

Over the past two years, Israeli forces have destroyed much of Gaza and killed over 67,183 Palestinians, including 20,179 children, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. Its figures are seen as reliable by the UN and other international bodies, although Israel disputes them.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others as hostages.

Gaza's health ministry has said 460 people have died from the effects of malnutrition since the start of the war, including 182 since a man-made famine was confirmed in Gaza City in August by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. Netanyahu has repeatedly denied starvation is taking place in Gaza and said Israel is facilitating deliveries of food and other aid.

If both Hamas and Israel abide by the initial ceasefire deal, as many US politicians are hopeful they will, the war will come to an end.

Image source, Anadolu via Getty Images

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Image source, Anadolu via Getty Images

Image source, Anadolu via Getty Images

Image source, Anadolu via Getty Images

Image source, Anadolu via Getty Images

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Image source, Anadolu via Getty Images

Image source, Anadolu via Getty Images

Image source, Anadolu via Getty Images

Image source, Anadolu via Getty Images

Palestinians displaced by the war in Gaza tell the Associated Press that they hope the deal will allow them to leave the shelters and come home.

“I will rebuild the house, we will rebuild Gaza,” says Ayman Saber, who lives in Khan Younis.

Ahmed Sheheiber says he is waiting "impatiently" to return to his home in the Jabaliya refugee camp.

“It’s a huge day, huge joy,” he says.

Aid coordinator Eyad Amawi says he is worried Israel might put obstacles to the deal and that he feels a mix of happiness and sadness.

“We believe and don’t believe. We have mixed feelings, between happiness and sadness, memories, everything is mixed,” he says.

“We need to fix everything here, especially the psychological effects to (continue) with our lives,” he adds.

BBC's Gaza correspondent Rushdi Abualouf details the role of mediators – how the delegations were never in the same room together – and the feelings in Gaza:

The sound of cheers filled Hostages Square in Tel Aviv overnight as the families of Israelis still being held captive in Gaza celebrated the potential return of their loved ones.

Here are some of the latest images from Israel:

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

In this 75-second video, hear from the BBC's US State Department correspondent Tom Bateman on the circumstances that led to US President Donald Trump pressuring Israel to make a deal with Hamas to end the war in Gaza.

Here is more from Starmer's statement.

He says: “I am grateful for the tireless diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye and the United States, supported by our regional partners, in securing this crucial first step. This agreement must now be implemented in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza.

"We call on all parties to meet the commitments they have made, to end the war, and to build the foundations for a just and lasting end to the conflict and a sustainable path to a long-term peace. The UK will support these crucial immediate steps and the next stage of talks to ensure the full implementation of the peace plan."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has responded to the news of Israel and Hamas agreeing to the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan:

“I welcome the news that a deal has been reached on the first stage of President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza," he says in a statement.

“This is a moment of profound relief that will be felt all around the world, but particularly for the hostages, their families, and for the civilian population of Gaza, who have all endured unimaginable suffering over the last two years."

Reuters reports residents of Khan Younis in southern Gaza erupting in cheers following the announcement of a peace deal.

“Thank God, today President Trump announced that the war stopped, we are very happy that the war stopped, this is something joyful for us and we thank our brothers and anyone who contributed even if verbally to stop the war and to stop the bloodshed,” Wael Radwan tells the news agency.

“Thank God for the ceasefire, the end of bloodshed and killing. I am not the only one happy, all of the Gaza Strip is happy, all the Arab people, all of the world is happy with the ceasefire and the end of bloodshed. Thank you and all the love to those who stood with us,” says Abdul Majeed Rabbo.

Palestinians in Gaza have been celebrating overnight as news broke of a potential peace deal in the war-torn territory.

Here are some of the latest pictures from the southern city of Khan Younis.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Peace deal is a significant breakthroughpublished at 03:34 BST 9 October

03:34 BST 9 October

Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent

This is, most of all, a human moment. The first sparks tell this story: the eruption of joy in the dead of night in the streets of Gaza; the dancing in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square.

If all unfolds as it should on Thursday, the last of the Israeli hostages will soon start coming home, as will hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The guns will fall silent in Gaza, more aid will flow in, and Palestinians won’t live their days fearing it could be their last.

This moment is bittersweet. There is grumbling, too, that this deal is not so different from one put forward by former US President Biden as early as last May. And there are warnings that it must not fall apart – as Israeli-Palestinian deals have done through the decades.

But it’s a significant breakthrough.

And only President Donald Trump could do it. That’s what been said for so long. Only the US president and commander-in-chief could exert the pressure, most of all on his political ally and personal friend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to finally get this deal done. His strong partnership with Arab leaders, as well as Turkey, also brought a weakened Hamas to this point.

It is only the beginning, not the end. It’s a ceasefire, not a peace deal. Major gaps still need to be closed on issues ranging from Hamas’s guns to governance in Gaza and the extent of Israel’s military presence. But it’s a moment to celebrate.

Unicef spokesman James Elder has posted a short Instagram video of himself in Gaza, elated by the news of potential peace in the territory that has been ravaged by war for more than two years.

"Is this the moment?," he asks, as roosters crow off-camera and he stands with a dark night sky behind him.

"It's incredibly quiet outside, it's the middle of the night. People haven't heard yet but also it's incredibly quiet from the skies," he says, pointing upwards and with a wide smile.

"Come on!," he adds, raising crossed fingers in the air.

Image source, Get

Israel's defence minister Israel Katz has issued a statement on the deal.

On X, Katz said the release of the hostages was a "blessing", and thanked the presidents of Israel and the US.

He also thanked Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers who "with their courage, determination, and immense sacrifice, brought us to this great moment".

"I warmly embrace the families of the hostages for the anticipated return of their loved ones, including IDF soldiers and fallen heroes, home soon."

Katz closed his post saying: "The entire nation is waiting and excited."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has released a statement saying it welcomes "the signing of the agreement for the return of the hostages, which was signed overnight".It also says in a social media post:

"During a situational assessment held overnight, the Chief of the General Staff instructed all forces, both on the front lines and in the rear areas, to prepare strong defenses and be ready for any scenario.

Force deployments will be carried out in accordance with the directives of the political echelon and the stages of the agreement, with responsibility and a focus on the safety of our soldiers. At the same time, the Chief of the General Staff instructed to prepare to lead the operation for the hostages’ return, which is expected to be conducted with sensitivity and professionalism.

The IDF will continue to act to achieve the objectives of the war and to defend the citizens of the State of Israel on all fronts."

Image source, EPA

Australia has welcomed the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

"After more than two years of conflict, hostages held and a devastating loss of civilian life, this is a much needed step towards peace," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says in a statement. "We urge all parties to respect the terms of the plan."

He thanks Trump for his "diplomatic efforts" and the role of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey in the negotiations.

Australia also supports the peace plan's commitment to deny Hamas any role in the future of Gaza, he says, adding it will be a "very long road to recovery in Gaza, securing long term peace and building the Palestinian state".

Rushdi Abualouf
Gaza correspondent

A Palestinian source has told the BBC that Hamas has not yet received the final list of Palestinian prisoners that Israel plans to release in exchange for the Israeli hostages in Gaza.

The source said the delay was linked to pressure inside Israel over the identities of some of those whose release Hamas is seeking. However, they added, efforts were under way to resolve the issue within hours.

The ceasefire agreement stipulates that 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 Gazans detained by Israeli forces since the war began will be released, according to the source.

Israel’s Haaretz newspaper also cited Israeli sources as saying that the deal did not specify the names of the Palestinian prisoners.

On Wednesday morning, a Hamas official told the BBC that the list of prisoners it had submitted to mediators in Sharm el-Sheikh included high-profile figures serving multiple life sentences for deadly attacks on Israelis. One of them was Marwan Barghouti, seen by many Palestinians as a potential future president. It is unclear if his release has been agreed to.

Trump tells Hannity that now, "People are going to be taken care of. It's going to be a different world. I think really, the Middle East came together."

"Gaza, we believe is going to be a much safer place and it's going to be a place that reconstructs and other countries in the area will help it reconstruct because they have tremendous amounts of wealth, and they want to see that happen."

"I'm very confident there'll be peace in the Middle East."

Speaking to Sean Hannity on the phone on Fox News, Trump says that what comes after part one of the peace plan, is that: "You'll see people getting along and Gaza will be rebuilt." He says it's going to be a "different world" and that there will be "wealth spent in Gaza".

Image source, Anadolu via Getty Images

Trump is now talking to Hannity about Iran. He says Iran was maybe a month away from getting nuclear weapons and that would have hurt the Gaza plan.

"If I allowed that to happen, this deal would not have been possible. Or if it was, it would have a tremendous cloud over it, because you'd have a country with a nuclear weapon that was not obviously very friendly."

"As you saw they bless the deal," he says.

"By the way, I believe Iran is going to be involved in the peace situation."

When Netanyahu called Trump, the Israeli PM said that "people liked him" again, Trump said. And Trump responded that people, "like Israel again".

There was a certain degree of luck in all of this, Trump says.

US President Donald Trump is speaking to Fox News host Sean Hannity on the phone.

Trump tells Hannity the ceasefire negotiations were supported by US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice-President JD Vance, and Jared Kushner, a former special advisor to the president and Trump's son-in-law."The whole world came together, to be honest. The world has come together around this deal." Many countries "have wired" their best wishes, he says.

Trump says this is more than Gaza, this is "peace in the Middle East".

"It's been really an amazing period of time. So great for Israel, so great for Muslims and the Arab countries," Trump says.

Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent

After intense negotiations, Israel and Hamas have reached agreement on the first phase of a peace plan for Gaza.

The breakthrough was first announced by US President Donald Trump, who called it a great day for the world.

Trump said all the hostages would be released soon and Israel would withdraw its troops to an agreed line.

He said all parties would be treated fairly and that these were the first steps towards a strong and everlasting peace.

This is the first phase of a 20-point plan announced by Trump last week.

Once the deal is approved by the Israeli government, a ceasefire will go into effect.

That will be followed by the release of the remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israel troops from parts of Gaza.

The negotiations have been boosted by the personal involvement of Trump, who has put pressure not only on Hamas but also on Israel for a deal.

Despite the hopes that this could lead to the end of the war after two years, crucial details still need to be discussed, including a plan for who will govern Gaza and the future of Hamas.