Major European stock indexes opened mixed on Thursday, with investors closely watching geopolitical developments after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of his Gaza peace plan.
According to Trump, the agreement would see the release of hostages “probably on Monday”, marking the first concrete progress toward ending the conflict. The announcement fueled cautious optimism in global markets, even as investors remained wary of regional instability.
Meanwhile, political uncertainty in France added to market volatility. President Emmanuel Macron is expected to appoint a new prime minister within the next two days, following Sebastien Lecornu’s decision to step down.
At 8:00 AM CET, France’s CAC 40 gained 0.17%, while Germany’s DAX slipped 0.41%. The Euro Stoxx 50 edged down 0.12%, and the FTSE 100 remained largely flat.
In currency markets, the euro traded 0.09% higher at $1.1640, while the British pound held steady at $1.3406 against the U.S. dollar.
Traders are now awaiting fresh economic data and central bank commentary for cues on the outlook for inflation and interest rates across the Eurozone.