President Donald Trump announced this Wednesday (8). But as people across the Middle East woke up on Thursday to news of the deal, many details remained unclear.
Trump stated on social media that Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a . The announcement was made after indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye and the United States.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would convene his cabinet on Thursday to approve the deal. The , in addition to allowing more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.
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Netanyahu was scheduled to convene senior ministers at 5 p.m. local time before putting the proposal to a cabinet vote about an hour later, according to two Israeli officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Some of the most sensitive issues — such as whether Hamas would lay down its arms and who would administer the Palestinian enclave after the war — have yet to be resolved.
Still, many Palestinians and Israelis celebrated the announcement that a deal had been reached, hoping it would finally end the conflict.
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Or what we know:
The agreement provides for the exchange of hostages and prisoners
Israel and Hamas reached an agreement based on the first phase of Trump’s peace plan, which was publicly released by the Trump administration in late September.
The plan calls for hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged about three days after Israel formally ratifies the ceasefire. The approximately 20 living hostages will likely be released on Sunday or Monday, according to an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss sensitive matters.
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Israeli forces would also withdraw to an agreed line, although the exact location has not yet been released. Trump’s proposal included maps showing Israel’s withdrawal lines, but those appear to have been changed during negotiations, according to two Israeli officials and an Egyptian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic matters.
When Hamas launched the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that started the war, about 1,200 people were killed and approximately 250, mostly civilians, were taken hostage. Israel’s devastating military response has since killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, including civilians and fighters, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The war also reduced much of the territory to ruins.
Under Trump’s plan, about 20 live Israeli hostages would be exchanged for 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israel and 1,700 Palestinians detained during the war. The bodies of 15 Palestinians would be returned in exchange for the remains of each Israeli.
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Authorities and analysts say the delivery of the bodies of the approximately 25 hostages who were killed will likely be more complicated and take longer.
The agreement should allow for more humanitarian aid in Gaza
Trump’s proposal calls for a significant increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza, which has faced a famine during much of the war. Humanitarian organizations blame Israeli restrictions on the entry of food and other goods into the enclave for the shortages, which led international monitors to declare famine in parts of northern Gaza this summer. Israel denies this characterization.
Hamas and Qatar indicated in their opening statements about the deal that it would allow for greater aid flows. But the details are still unclear.
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A previous, short-lived ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in January stipulated that hundreds of trucks carrying supplies would enter the enclave daily.
It is not yet clear whether Hamas will disarm
For Trump’s full peace plan to work, diplomats and negotiators will likely need to resolve a crucial question: Will Hamas agree to hand over its weapons?
Netanyahu has always insisted that he would not accept a deal in which Hamas refused to disarm. The Palestinian militant group publicly rejected this demand.
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Trump did not mention this issue in his social media post or in a subsequent television interview, and there was no immediate public comment on it from Israel or Hamas.
Some Arab mediators negotiating an end to the war in Gaza believe they can persuade Hamas to partially disarm, according to a report by The New York Times this week.
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