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09-10-2025
CAIRO: Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan, paving the way for a possible end to the conflict in Gaza.
Under the plan, Hamas will release the 20 living hostages it is still holding, while Israel will withdraw its troops to an agreed line and free nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, sources told media.
World leaders, Palestinians and Israelis have welcomed the news but details remain sparse and crucial further steps, such as who will govern Gaza, are still to be discussed.
The long-awaited breakthrough raises hopes for a lasting peace in a conflict that has lasted two years and two days, and cost tens of thousands of lives.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was “a great day for Israel” and said he would convene his cabinet on Thursday to approve the agreement.
If approved, a ceasefire will go into effect immediately after the meeting, which will take place at around 17:00 Jerusalem time (15:00 BST).
Israel will allow 400 aid trucks to enter Gaza daily during the first five days, with the number to increase gradually in later stages, a senior Palestinian official told media.
Hamas confirmed that the agreement included an Israeli withdrawal from parts of Gaza and the entry of aid into the Palestinian territory. It called on US President Donald Trump to ensure Israel complies.
A senior White House official told media that the withdrawal of Israeli troops would likely take less than 24 hours.
Once that is complete, Hamas will have 72 hours to release the hostages the armed group took from Israel when it staged its 7 October 2023 attack who are still in Gaza.
Hostages could be released as soon as Monday, according to Trump, who was the first to announce that an agreement had been reached.
What Hamas and Israel have agreed to following three days of indirect talks in Egypt is largely the first portion of a 20-point peace plan Trump proposed at the end of September.
A Palestinian official said the “yellow line” that Israeli troops would withdraw to under Trump’s plan had been adjusted to reflect Israel’s security requirements and Hamas’s need to secure the release of Israeli hostages.
The line initially proposed by the White House would have left Gaza about 55% occupied by Israeli forces.
Hamas officials told media that the list of prisoners it had submitted to mediators in Egypt for Israel to release included high-profile figures such as Marwan Barghouti, seen by many Palestinians as a future president. It is unclear whether Israel has agreed to his release but there remains few details about what else has been agreed.
The tentative deal reached on Wednesday night is also not a comprehensive agreement meaning other key sticking points, including the disarmament of Hamas and the future governance of Gaza, are still to be negotiated.
Trump’s plan proposes a temporary transitional government led by an international committee and overseen by Trump and former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair.
Hamas would be barred from any role in Gaza and there is an expectation that the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, would eventually take over.
A previous ceasefire agreement that began in January collapsed after two months, without ever getting past the first stage of a three-stage plan.
Israel resumed its military campaign with a deadly wave of air strikes, with Netanyahu blaming Hamas for refusing to release more hostages.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu and Trump congratulated each other on the “historic achievement” during a “moving” phone call, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office. (Int’l News Desk)
