Israel and Hamas have officially reached an agreement for a significant exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. This development represents a breakthrough in ongoing negotiations, coming just days after the devastating war in Gaza passed its two-year mark.
Former President Trump, who actively brokered this deal, announced on social media Wednesday that both sides had consented to the initial phase of his peace plan. This phase mandates Israel to withdraw its troops to a predefined line. Trump also indicated a potential visit to the region this weekend, where Gaza negotiations were unfolding in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel stated his intention to convene his cabinet on Thursday to endorse the agreement. The Israeli military welcomed the development, confirming preparations to lead the operation for the hostages’ return and to “transition to adjusted deployment lines soon.”
“With God’s help we will bring them all home,” Netanyahu affirmed.
Crucially, some of the most contentious issues between Israel and Gaza, such as the future governance of postwar Gaza and the extent and method of Hamas’s disarmament, appear to have been reserved for later negotiation phases.
In Gaza, where widespread food shortages have led international experts to declare a famine in parts of the territory, aid workers expressed optimism about expediting relief supplies to those in need.
Hamas, in an early Thursday statement, declared that the agreement would lead to an end to the war in Gaza and Israel’s complete withdrawal from the territory. Both Hamas and Qatar, a key mediator, also indicated that the deal would allow for increased humanitarian aid entry into Gaza.
Hamas urged Trump and other international parties to ensure Israel “fully implements the agreement’s requirements and not allow it to evade or delay” their execution.
Hours after Trump’s announcement, the Israeli military issued a statement reminding Gaza residents, in Arabic, that Israeli troops maintained their occupation of the territory and that combat operations were still ongoing.
The war in Gaza began in October 2023 with a Hamas-led attack on Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths, predominantly civilians, and the capture of about 250 hostages. The subsequent Israeli military response has killed over 67,000 Palestinians, including both civilians and combatants, according to the Gaza health ministry, and left much of the territory’s infrastructure in ruins.
Following months of stalled ceasefire discussions, Hamas last week declared its readiness to release all Israeli hostages in Gaza under the framework of the plan Trump unveiled on September 29. Israel estimates that roughly 20 living hostages remain, alongside the remains of 28 others who perished in captivity.
The release of Israeli hostages in Gaza is anticipated to occur as early as this weekend, likely on Sunday, according to an anonymous official familiar with the agreement’s details.
Key Aspects of the Deal:
- Details Unclear: Many specifics of the agreement remain undisclosed. Officials have not elaborated on the exact terms of the hostages-for-prisoner exchange, the precise lines to which Israeli forces would withdraw, or whether the agreement guarantees a permanent end to the war. A major sticking point is Hamas’s public rejection of Netanyahu’s demand for disarmament.
- Hope in Gaza: Palestinians in Gaza welcomed the news with a sense of hope that their two-year-long ordeal might finally conclude. Montaser Bahja, an English teacher displaced in Khan Younis, expressed a mix of “joy for the end of the war and the killing, and sorrow for everything we’ve lost,” noting that everyone was glued to the news awaiting a truce.
- Nobel Endorsement: Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, publicly suggested that Trump merited the Nobel Peace Prize. The recipient of the prestigious award, which Trump has openly expressed a desire for, is scheduled to be announced on Friday.
- Peace Plan Elements: Trump’s comprehensive 20-point peace plan includes provisions that Hamas has previously resisted, which could pose future obstacles to achieving a lasting peace.
- Pressure on Israel: A September 9 Israeli strike targeting Hamas representatives in Qatar caused significant diplomatic friction with officials in the region and Washington. This incident galvanized an angered Trump and his advisors to exert pressure on Netanyahu to accept a framework for ending the conflict.
Hostage Deal Specifics:
President Trump’s announcement outlined an exchange of the remaining Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip for Palestinian prisoners.
The first phase of Trump’s peace plan stipulates that hostages and prisoners must be exchanged within 72 hours of a ceasefire commencing. Trump stated that the hostages would be released “very soon,” and Israeli troops would also pull back.
However, the precise start date of the ceasefire and the exact withdrawal lines for Israeli forces were not specified.
The October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel initiated the war, leading to approximately 1,200 fatalities and about 250 individuals being taken hostage. Israel’s subsequent military actions have reportedly killed over 67,000 Palestinians and left much of Gaza in ruins.
Under the plan introduced last month, around 20 living Israeli hostages would be exchanged for 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israel, along with 1,700 Gazans detained during the conflict. Additionally, the remains of 15 Gazans would be returned for each Israeli casualty.
An official, speaking anonymously, indicated that the living Israeli hostages are most likely to be released on Sunday.
Aid to Gaza:
Trump’s proposal called for a substantial increase in humanitarian aid for Gaza, where international monitors have confirmed a famine. Israel has largely restricted food and other aid since the war began and recently intercepted attempts by international activists to deliver supplies by boat.
During his announcement of the deal, Trump did not explicitly mention aid deliveries or the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Nevertheless, Hamas and Qatar, in their initial statements regarding the agreement, indicated that it would facilitate the entry of aid into the enclave.
Hamas Disarmament:
A critical question for the comprehensive success of Trump’s peace plan is whether Hamas will agree to disarm. Netanyahu has consistently maintained that he would not accept any agreement where Hamas refuses to lay down its weapons, a demand the Palestinian militant group has publicly rejected.
Trump did not address this specific issue in his social media post or subsequent television interview, and there were no immediate public comments from either Israel or Hamas on this matter.
The Path to an Agreement:
The agreement between Israel and Hamas emerged after several days of intense negotiations in Egypt, following months of false starts and escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Mediating countries, including Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, exerted significant pressure on both parties, who do not directly negotiate.
A critical turning point occurred in early September when Israel bombed a residential neighborhood in Doha, Qatar, where Hamas representatives were discussing peace proposals. Although the Hamas negotiators survived, the strike angered officials in the Middle East and Washington, initially jeopardizing any prospects for a ceasefire. Qatar’s prime minister accused Israel of attempting to “sabotage every attempt to create opportunities for peace.”
Trump publicly criticized the unilateral bombing, which placed him in an awkward position with regional allies. This anger ultimately motivated him and his advisors to pressure Netanyahu into supporting a peace framework.
On September 23, at the United Nations General Assembly, Trump and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, convened a meeting with senior officials from Arab and Muslim-majority nations to outline the peace plan. This came a day after several European nations recognized Palestinian statehood, increasing international pressure on Israel.
Facing growing global isolation, Netanyahu could not afford to defy his staunchest ally, Trump. During a White House visit on September 29, where Trump unveiled his 20-point plan for ending the war, releasing hostages, and governing postwar Gaza, Netanyahu publicly apologized to the Qatari prime minister while Trump observed.
Subsequently, Trump intensified pressure on Hamas, warning the group on a Friday that more fighters would be killed if they did not agree to a deal by Sunday evening. Hamas responded the same day, agreeing to release all hostages (living and dead) but indicating a desire to negotiate specific plan elements. That evening, Trump expressed his belief that Hamas was “ready for a lasting peace” and urged Israel to cease bombing Gaza.
Netanyahu confirmed on Saturday that Israel would cooperate with the White House to end the war. By Monday, mediators and negotiators met in Egypt to finalize the initial phase, including the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for hostages and an Israeli troop pullback. Trump noted, “Everyone wants it to happen. Even Hamas.”
High-profile negotiators, including Witkoff, Jared Kushner (Trump’s son-in-law and former Middle East adviser), and the Qatari prime minister, soon joined the talks. In a Wednesday night interview, after the deal’s announcement, Trump appeared celebratory but remained vague on potential sticking points, emphasizing that “the whole world came together around this deal.”
Trump’s 20-Point Gaza Peace Plan:
Trump announced on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the initial phases of his 20-point peace plan, designed to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The comprehensive plan was introduced by Trump during a White House meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month. It called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the release of all remaining hostages (living and deceased) in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and a substantial influx of humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave.
However, several components of the plan and Trump’s broader vision for Gaza have previously met resistance from Hamas and could become future points of contention. Specifically, the proposal requires Hamas to disarm and relinquish any role in Gaza’s governance—conditions long demanded by Israel but consistently rejected by Hamas.
Under the plan, Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007, would be replaced by a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” overseen by a supervisory “Board of Peace.” This board would be chaired by Trump, with Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, taking a leadership role.
The White House proposal envisions “Gaza will be a de-radicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors” and will be “redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza.” The Board of Peace would establish a framework for Gaza’s reconstruction, including funding, while the Palestinian Authority undergoes a “reform program” to enable it to “securely and effectively take back control of Gaza.”
The plan also aims to “create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment,” and to establish a special economic zone with preferential tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.
Crucially, the peace proposal states that no one will be forced to leave Gaza, with individuals free to depart and return. The proposal pledges to “encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza,” a departure from Trump’s earlier suggestions of relocating Gazans to neighboring states, which drew widespread condemnation.
Regional partners in the Middle East are tasked with ensuring Hamas’s compliance. The United States would collaborate with Arab and international partners to establish a temporary “International Stabilization Force” for immediate deployment in Gaza. This force would “train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field,” working with Israel and Egypt to secure border areas.
The proposal explicitly states that Israel will neither occupy nor annex Gaza, committing to withdrawal “based on standards, milestones and time frames linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon.” This directly addresses calls from far-right members of Israel’s government for annexation.
While the United States will foster dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful coexistence, the plan does not explicitly guarantee the establishment of a Palestinian state. Instead, it suggests that as Gaza’s redevelopment and Palestinian Authority reform progress, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.”
Remaining Hostages in Gaza:
President Trump has centered the release of remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas as a key component of his push for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
During the October 7 assault on Israel two years ago, Hamas and other militant groups took approximately 250 people captive, bringing them into Gaza. In some instances, hostages were already deceased, and their bodies were taken.
Current Hostage Count:
Israel indicates that about 20 living hostages and the remains of around 25 others are still held in Gaza.
Trump’s ceasefire proposal last month called for the release of all hostages, both living and deceased, within 72 hours of Israel’s acceptance of the plan. However, Israel agreed nine days ago, making the precise timing of their release currently uncertain.
Videos released by Hamas have depicted captives appearing emaciated and frail, causing shock across Israel and raising concerns about their continued survival.
Hamas officials previously stated that retrieving the bodies of deceased captives would require time, as they are buried in Gaza.
Fate of Other Hostages:
Many individuals kidnapped on October 7 have been released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails during two previous ceasefires—one in the early months of the war and another earlier this year. At least eight other hostages were freed through Israeli military operations.
An investigation by The New York Times found that more than three dozen hostages have died in captivity.
According to Israeli officials and military investigations, seven hostages were executed by their captors as Israeli soldiers approached, and four others died in Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli military also reported that three hostages were mistakenly killed by Israeli soldiers who mistook them for Palestinian militants, and one was killed in a crossfire. The circumstances surrounding the deaths of the remaining hostages remain unclear.
Hamas’s Returns:
Under the Trump plan, in exchange for the released hostages, Israel would “release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after Oct. 7, 2023.” The plan also states that “for every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.”
The exact timing of these Palestinian prisoner releases is currently unspecified.
Trump’s Potential Middle East Visit:
Former President Trump is on the cusp of what could be the most significant diplomatic achievement of his second term: a cessation of the brutal conflict between Israel and Hamas. On Wednesday evening, he expressed a keen desire to travel to the Middle East to oversee a ceasefire and personally welcome the hostages, who have endured two years in captivity.
This venture serves as the ultimate test of Trump’s self-proclaimed status as a deal maker and peacemaker, potentially paving the way for the Nobel Peace Prize he has openly coveted. Coincidentally, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner is set to be announced just hours before his potential departure for a victory tour in Egypt and Israel.
However, the Middle East is known for its volatility, and much could still go awry. The “peace” deal Trump announced on Truth Social may ultimately prove to be another temporary pause in a conflict that has deep historical roots, dating back to Israel’s founding in 1948.
Should Trump successfully maintain this agreement, and if Hamas releases its last 20 living hostages this weekend, relinquishing its primary negotiating leverage, it would mark an extraordinary step towards the kind of peace plan that both Trump and his predecessor, Joseph R. Biden Jr., have sought to achieve despite numerous challenges. Furthermore, if Trump can persuade Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza City and abandon his intentions to control the devastated remains of Gaza, thereby ending the immense bloodshed that has claimed 1,200 Israeli lives and over 60,000 Palestinian lives, he would have achieved what many before him could not: outmaneuvering a challenging and now internationally isolated ally.
Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace commented that “this ceasefire and hostage release, if it happens, only came to fruition because of Trump’s willingness to pressure Prime Minister Netanyahu.” He added, “No president, Republican or Democrat, has ever come down harder on an Israeli prime minister on issues so critically important to his politics or his country’s security interests.”
Trump recognizes that the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain—the first Arab states to recognize Israel in a quarter-century—were the standout international accomplishment of his first term. Sudan and Morocco later joined. It was the concern that Saudi Arabia might soon follow suit that partly fueled Hamas’s horrific October 7, 2023, attack.
Nevertheless, halting the immense violence of this current war—which has decimated Hamas’s leadership, destroyed 90 percent of Gaza’s homes, and severely damaged Israel’s global reputation—stands as an even greater achievement.
Israel’s intense military response to the October 7 attack, the worst against Jews since the Holocaust, has left the nation in a unique position: simultaneously more powerful and more isolated. In recent weeks, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has prompted many of its closest allies to advocate for the creation of a Palestinian state, despite the lack of concrete plans regarding its location or governance. Globally, Israel’s extensive destruction of Gaza, its readiness to inflict numerous Palestinian casualties to target a single Hamas leader, and discussions about displacing Palestinians from their refuge have caused significant moral and political damage to the Israeli state, which may take generations to mend.
These events could also fundamentally alter the political landscape of the region.
Amidst the ongoing war and with 48 hostages still held captive (28 believed to be deceased), Netanyahu has enjoyed a surge in political support. He assured both his supporters and critics that he had fulfilled his vow to dismantle Hamas’s leadership. He purportedly utilized advanced tactics to target and eliminate senior Hezbollah leaders, contributed to the weakening and eventual collapse of the Assad government in Syria, and oversaw the elimination of a generation of Iranian nuclear scientists and military leaders during a 12-day conflict that concluded with an American strike on Iran’s primary nuclear facilities.
However, Netanyahu’s actions also showed signs of overreach, presenting an opportunity for Trump and his advisors to intervene. The scale of destruction in Gaza drew widespread international condemnation. His decision to bomb Hamas negotiators in Qatar particularly shocked the Trump White House. Trump, known for rarely apologizing himself, compelled Netanyahu to issue an apology to Qatar’s leadership, even publicly releasing images of the call. Throughout this process, Trump skillfully maneuvered Netanyahu into agreeing to a 20-step plan, which the Israeli leader had anticipated Hamas would reject.
To the surprise of many, Hamas accepted the initial steps of the plan. Faced with little alternative, the extensive human and physical devastation in Gaza eroded Hamas’s dwindling support among the surviving population. Arab states and Turkey eventually pressured Hamas to yield.
Trump is now poised to declare this chapter closed, and with good fortune, he may be correct.
If the peace plan progresses, Trump’s claim to a Nobel Peace Prize could be as legitimate as that of the four American presidents who have previously received the award, though perhaps with less fanfare. (These include Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Barack Obama, and Jimmy Carter, who received his decades after leaving office.)
However, it remains far from certain that the conflict is truly concluding. Trump’s and Netanyahu’s statements referred only to the initial phase: the hostage-for-prisoner exchanges and the withdrawal of Israeli troops to a yet-to-be-defined line. Advancing to the next stage—which would require Hamas to disarm and, more challenging still, relinquish its claim to govern Gaza—may prove even more arduous than securing the return of living and deceased hostages. Both Hamas and Netanyahu could potentially obstruct these subsequent steps; Netanyahu maintains that the mission is incomplete until every Hamas combatant from the October 7 attacks is apprehended. Any such obstruction could unravel the fragile ceasefire.
It is unclear how the United States and its allies intend to assemble a “technocratic” interim leadership or ensure that Gaza’s future leadership is entirely free of Hamas sympathies. Israel seems unlikely to withdraw as long as any remnants of Hamas persist, and possibly even after their eradication. Furthermore, the role, if any, of the Palestinian Authority in this future governance remains undefined.
The history of the region suggests that negotiating peace accords to end conflicts is akin to cleaning up after a volcanic eruption: the certainty of future outbreaks remains, though their timing and ferocity are unpredictable.