Plan includes the release of all hostages held by Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops to an agreed line
News of the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas was met with celebrations and expressions of joy in both Gaza and Israel, although residents on both sides of the devastating war have expressed fears that the deal could still fall apart.
US President Donald Trump announced that negotiators had reached an agreement in the Egyptian city of Sharm El Sheikh on Wednesday, saying that Israel and Hamas had signed the first phase of a ceasefire framework.
The plan includes the release of all hostages held by Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops to an agreed line, according to Trump.
A Qatari official later said the deal “will lead to an end to the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid.”
However, there is still no clarity on the main points of contention, including the disarmament of Hamas, the future governance of Gaza, as well as what security guarantees have been given to prevent hostilities from breaking out again.
Jubilant crowds gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square to celebrate the agreement, with many people expressing their joy that hostages held captive by Hamas could finally return home.
Former hostages released under previous ceasefire agreements and families of those still in captivity joined the crowd who hugged, sang and raised glasses.
“Our hearts are full of joy, I don’t even know how to contain it,” Tel Aviv resident Hillel Mayer told CNN from the square.
A Palestinian girl shelters in a tent after US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on October 9, 2025. Ramadan Abed/Reuters
Palestinians in Gaza welcomed the agreement, cautiously hoping it would put an end to Israel’s devastating attack on the besieged enclave, which now lies in ruins. Crowds gathered near Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to celebrate in the pre-dawn darkness, clapping and cheering.
“These are moments considered historic, long awaited by Palestinian citizens after two years of slaughter and genocide,” said Khaled Shaat, a resident of Khan Younis, according to Reuters.
Before sunrise in Gaza City, a young girl told a journalist that she was very happy with the agreement because she would be able to return home. “We spent two years, and now we are starting the third, living in a war. We are very tired of this life”, declared the girl in a video obtained by CNN.
But underlining the precarious nature of such agreements, the Israeli army said it had given instructions to its soldiers to “be ready for any scenario”. And Arab military spokesman Avichay Adraee warned Palestinians in Gaza not to return to the north or approach areas where Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers are stationed.
While the festivities were being celebrated, journalists in Gaza told CNN that Israeli bombings continue, especially in Gaza city.
Hostage families rejoice, but remain cautiously optimistic
In Israel, the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, and hostages who had been previously released, celebrated the news of the agreement – with many personally thanking Trump.
“I can’t believe it,” said freed hostage Ohad Ben Ami in a video posted on Instagram.
“You are going home,” said Liran Berman, whose twin brothers Gali and Ziv remain detained in Gaza after being kidnapped from the kibbutz of Kfar Aza, in southern Israel. “My Gali and Zivi, I love you so much.”
The twins were last seen alive by witnesses in February, when the last hostages were released during a fragile ceasefire that later fell apart when Israel resumed bombings in Gaza.
A video released by the Hostages Families Forum shows Trump on the phone with family members of hostages and captivity survivors in Washington, telling them that their loved ones will return on Monday.
Family members and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas celebrate after the announcement of the ceasefire agreement, as they gather at the hostage square in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 9, 2025. Emilio Morenatti/AP
The group, some visibly moved, can be heard shouting “thank you” and applauding.
The agreement was reached one day after the two-year anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks that killed at least 1,200 Israelis on October 7, 2023 and took 251 people hostage. Hamas and its allies still hold 48 hostages in Gaza. The Israeli government believes that at least 20 of them are alive.
The joy of the hostages’ early return and emotional reunions was tempered, to some extent, by a feeling of intense apprehension, in a context of persistent distrust and previous false hopes.
“We are still nervous to know if and when Itay and the other hostages on the death list will be found and brought back to us,” Ruby Chen, father of Itay Chen, an IDF soldier whose body is in the possession of Hamas, said in a post.
“We are happy inside, we really are, the joy is deep, but we need to be realistic,” expressed former Israeli hostage Eliya Cohen in Hostage Square, in Tel Aviv, according to Reuters.
“Until they get into the Red Cross vehicle and meet the IDF soldiers, until that time, we have to continue to pray.”
Rare hope amid the devastation of Gaza
It was in the early morning hours in Gaza that the agreement was announced. With little internet connection in the besieged strip, many people were still unaware of the agreement, journalists in Gaza told CNN.
A small but happy crowd gathered at Khan Younis, singing, dancing and cheering, in a video obtained by Reuters.
Wael Radwan, a resident of Khan Younis, held Trump responsible for the agreement – and thanked “everyone who contributed, even if verbally, to ending the war and the bloodshed”.
Another resident, Abdul Majeed Abd Rabbo, said “the entire Gaza Strip is happy” with the announcement. “The entire Arab people, the entire world is happy with the ceasefire and the end of the bloodshed,” he said, according to Reuters.
Palestinians celebrate in a street after the news that Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire plan, in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, in this screenshot taken from a video released on October 9, 2025. Reuters
Israel’s war has caused widespread destruction in Gaza, and the enclave has been gripped by increasing scenes of death and starvation.
More than 67,000 people, most of them women and children, have been killed, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and Palestinians are fighting for survival under incessant bombing, mass displacement and the spread of disease.
In September, an independent United Nations inquiry concluded, for the first time, that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a conclusion that echoes those of other genocide experts and human rights groups – but which the Israeli government firmly rejected.
Many Gaza residents will be wary and nervous that any truce reached may not lead to a permanent end to the war, as previous agreements have done. Trump’s social media announcement did not mention some difficult issues that will have to be resolved, including the disarmament of Hamas and the future governance of the enclave.
The Gaza Government Media Office (GMO), controlled by Hamas, warned Palestinians to “exercise maximum caution in their movements and travel” following the announcement of the agreement, and “not to let their guard down until an official, clear and confirmed announcement is issued by the competent Palestinian authorities.”
CNN’s Dana Karni, Abeer Salman, Jessie Yeung, Tamar Michaelis, Lucas Lilieholm, Lex Harvey and Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.
