US President Donald Trump announced late Wednesday on his social media platform, Truth Social, that Israel and Hamas accepted the first phase of an agreement to free the remaining hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, open the way for a large aid influx, and start an initial Israeli troop pullback to a defined line inside the Strip. Negotiations are being run in Sharm el-Sheikh by US envoys alongside officials from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey. Israel is preparing the transfer and repositioning steps while the Israeli cabinet meets Thursday to sign off on the arrangement.
The White House describes the deal as the opening slice of a broader, 20-point roadmap the US president unveiled in late September to wind down the two-year war, free all captives—living and deceased—and stabilize Gaza. Timelines still differ by a day: An Israeli official familiar with the sequencing expects the living hostages to be released on Sunday, while the US president said on Fox News they would “probably” be released Monday. In both versions, the remains of the dead would return in stages, given the time required to locate and recover bodies from tunnel areas.
What Is Expected To Happen Next
- Israeli cabinet approval and military posture. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke with the US president and would convene his government on Thursday to approve the agreement, calling it “a great day for Israel.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said deployments will shift “in accordance with the directives of the government and the stages of the accord.” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir instructed troops to “prepare strong defenses and be ready for any scenario,” and “to prepare to lead the operation for the hostages’ return.”
- One-time release of living hostages and staged return of remains. Israel assesses that roughly 20 hostages are alive in Gaza and that the bodies of about two dozen more remain inside the enclave. Under the plan described by officials, all living captives would be freed at once, followed by a phased process to recover and repatriate the dead.
- Prisoner releases. The US plan envisions Israel releasing 250 prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 Gazans detained since Oct. 7, 2023. For the return of each Israeli hostage’s remains, the document sets a ratio of 15 deceased Gazans’ remains to be returned. Israel has not yet published its final prisoner lists or timing.
- Initial Israeli pullback and humanitarian surge. The US president said Israel will reposition to an agreed line inside Gaza during the first phase. Israel’s initial statements did not detail the line or the scope. Mediators say the deal clears the way for a rapid scale-up of aid deliveries into Gaza once the releases begin.
- Verification and oversight. Mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey will help manage compliance. Hamas called on the US president and other guarantors to ensure Israel follows through. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Dr. Majed Al Ansari, said, “An agreement was reached on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid,” with more details to come.
- Potential presidential travel and Knesset address. The US president said he is weighing a trip to the region in the coming days. He also said he would accept an invitation from Netanyahu to address the Knesset “if they want me to.”
The Broader US Plan for Gaza
The roadmap advanced by Washington pairs the exchange with a political-security package:
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- Governance transition. Hamas would disarm and exit day-to-day control. In its place, a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” would run civilian affairs, overseen by a temporary “Board of Peace.” The concept sketches a role for international figures and backing from regional states.
- Security architecture. A temporary International Stabilization Force, with US coordination and regional support, would deploy to Gaza to train and support vetted Palestinian police. That force would work with Israel and Egypt on border security and consult with Jordan and Egypt, which have extensive policing experience in the region.
- No annexation or occupation. The proposal states Israel will not annex or occupy Gaza and would withdraw in line with demilitarization milestones, standards, and timelines to be agreed.
- Economic framework. A redevelopment plan envisions a special economic zone and investment incentives tied to improved security and governance. No one would be forced to leave Gaza; those who depart voluntarily would remain free to return.
- Political horizon. The plan does not promise Palestinian statehood. It says reforms and redevelopment could create “a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”
These planks match long-standing Israeli demands that Hamas disarm and cede control. Hamas has publicly rejected disarmament in the past, which leaves the end-state still contested even if the first phase rolls forward.
Statements From Leaders and Mediators
The US president framed the moment in expansive terms and credited a wide cast of aides and partners. “We think they will all be coming back on Monday … and that will include the bodies of the dead,” he said on Fox News, adding elsewhere that “the whole world came together around this deal.” Netanyahu thanked the US president for “his unwavering commitment to the safety of Israel and the freedom of our hostages,” calling the agreement “a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory.”
Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, posted that “all of Israel is with the hostages” and their families. Qatar’s Dr. Al Ansari said phase-one mechanisms are settled and will allow in aid alongside the releases. In the US, Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, praised the US president “on this historic peace plan that releases all the hostages,” saying they share “an ironclad commitment to Israel and its people.” The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an advocacy group, said the agreement triggered “a mix of excitement, anticipation, and concern,” thanked the US president and his team for the “historic breakthrough,” and urged Israel’s cabinet to approve the terms without delay.
Open Questions and Points of Friction
- End of the war. Hamas said the deal should end the war and bring Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu says Israel will not end the war unless Hamas disarms—something Hamas rejects. Whether the first phase sets the stage for a full cease-fire depends on movement on weapons and governance issues.
- Pullback details. The “agreed line” for Israeli forces, the tempo of repositioning, and rules governing areas vacated by the IDF have not been published. Those specifics will shape both humanitarian access and security.
- Prisoner lists and sequencing. Israel has not released the final lists of prisoners eligible for release, and it has not confirmed the precise timeline for each tranche. The release of remains is expected to take longer than the release of the living.
- Role of Iran and regional dynamics. Tehran said it would support decisions made by Palestinians and their armed factions during negotiations over the US plan. A sustained cease-fire that curtails Hamas’s fighting role would undercut Iran’s long-running effort to back allied groups across the region.
How the War Reached This Point
The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led attackers crossed from Gaza into southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and abducting roughly 250 into Gaza. Many were later freed in earlier pauses or rescued by Israeli forces; others died in captivity. Gaza’s Health Ministry, run by Hamas, reports that more than 67,000 Palestinians—combatants and civilians—have been killed during Israel’s campaign. Israeli operations focused on dismantling Hamas’s command infrastructure, destroying tunnel systems, and degrading fighting units embedded in dense urban terrain. Previous negotiating rounds stalled over sequencing: who moves first, how many prisoners to release, how far Israeli forces should pull back, and who governs Gaza the day after.
What To Watch in the Coming Days
- Thursday cabinet session in Jerusalem to formally endorse the agreement.
- Force posture orders from the IDF to implement the first-phase pullback and secure corridors for transfers.
- Logistics for a one-time release of living hostages and staged repatriation of remains, with parallel publication of prisoner lists.
- Aid convoys and inspection regimes scaling up after the first hostages cross out of Gaza.
- Announcements on a stabilization force and policing plan, including training pipelines and border-security coordination with Egypt and Israel.
- Clarity on governance mechanics, including names, mandates, and timelines for the “technocratic” committee and the temporary Board of Peace.
- Potential visit by the US president to Egypt and Israel, including a possible address to the Knesset.
The US president cast the moment as a pivot for the region. Whether it becomes the turning point that ends the war will depend on the follow-through—on disarmament terms, on who runs Gaza, and on how quickly the relief promised on paper reaches people on the ground.