Israel and the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas began taking the first steps on Thursday towards enacting a peace deal announced overnight by President Donald Trump.

Israeli media reported that the security cabinet would meet in the afternoon to be briefed on the Gaza deal.

This would reportedly be followed by a full government meeting to vote on the agreement.

Zaher Jabareen, head of the prisoner affairs office for Hamas, issued a statement earlier saying the Islamist movement had submitted the lists of Palestinian prisoners.

This is in accordance with the agreed-upon criteria within the framework of the agreement and is pending final approval of the names before their announcement.

Mr Trump announced that indirect negotiations in Egypt had produced an agreement on the first phase of a peace deal.

Under the first phase, all hostages held in Gaza are to be released, and Israeli forces will withdraw to an agreed line.

The deal has been acclaimed by leaders worldwide, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Mr Trump should receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which is set to be announced on Friday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X that it was “a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel”.

The 20-point peace plan proposed by Mr Trump envisages Israel pulling its forces in Gaza back to an “initial withdrawal line” in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages.

Both alive and dead, who have now been held by the Islamist group for just over two years.

Under the plan, Israel would free around 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and roughly 1,700 others detained after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

(dpa/NAN)