What We Know About the Israel-Hamas Agreement

On Thursday, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, based on a plan announced by U.S. President Donald Trump at the end of September to end the conflict in the Palestinian territory. Here’s what we know about the agreement, formally signed in Egypt after several days of indirect talks facilitated by Egypt, the United States, and Qatar.

Ceasefire

A ceasefire is set to take effect within 24 hours following a meeting of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet on Thursday.

Hostages for Prisoners

The first phase of the plan includes a ceasefire and an exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages held by Hamas, whose unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, triggered the war. The 47 Israeli hostages, 20 of whom are presumed to be alive, will be released no later than 72 hours after the ceasefire takes effect, around Monday, according to a spokesperson for the Israeli government. They will be exchanged for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners: 250 serving life sentences and 1,700 others detained by Israel since the beginning of the war, an official from Hamas told AFP. Far-right Minister Bezalel Smotrich has expressed his opposition to the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Prisoner Lists

One of the complicated points of negotiation was the list of Palestinian prisoners submitted by Hamas, which the movement wants to see released during the first phase. According to an Egyptian media outlet close to the state, Marwan Barghouthi — a prominent figure from the rival Fatah movement — is included in the list submitted by Hamas. Cited as a potential successor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Barghouthi has been imprisoned by Israel since 2002 after being sentenced to life for his role in anti-Israeli attacks. However, on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Israeli government stated that Barghouthi, referred to as the "Mandela of Palestine" by his supporters, will not be exchanged for hostages under the agreement.

Aid

At least 400 trucks of humanitarian aid will enter the Gaza Strip each day during the first five days of the ceasefire, with this number increasing in the following days, according to a source in Hamas. More than 150 trucks crossed the Egyptian border into Gaza on Thursday, according to two sources from the Egyptian Red Crescent. Among them, 80 trucks are chartered by the UN, 17 by the Egyptian Red Crescent, 21 by Qatar, and 30 by Egypt. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) stated it has enough supplies to feed the entire population for the next three months.

Scheduled Withdrawals of Israeli Forces

According to Donald Trump, the agreement stipulates that Israel will "withdraw its troops to the agreed line" within the enclave. Within 24 hours of the ceasefire taking effect, the Israeli army must withdraw from areas where it is currently deployed, having controlled 53% of the Gaza Strip, the spokesperson also indicated. According to the previously mentioned high-ranking Hamas official, the agreement provides for "scheduled withdrawals" of Israeli troops.

Pending Issues

Trump's plan includes the establishment of an "international transitional body" called the "Peace Committee," chaired by the U.S. President himself, as well as the disarmament of Hamas. Turkey, whose intelligence chief attended the talks this week in Egypt, wants to participate in a working group responsible for overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated on Thursday. Hamas has not mentioned its own disarmament or the fate of its fighters, which are key points of the proposal.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated on Thursday that he hopes the agreement can pave the way for the establishment of a Palestinian state, a goal that the U.S. plan ultimately envisions. However, Netanyahu and several members of his government have opposed such an eventuality.

Next Steps

A Hamas official said that negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire would begin "immediately" after the signing of the first phase of the agreement. Israel did not comment on this by Thursday evening. Netanyahu stated on Thursday that Donald Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for facilitating this ceasefire agreement. The U.S. President is openly ambitious about winning this prestigious award, with the next laureate to be announced on Friday. Trump is also expected in Israel on Sunday, according to the Israeli presidency.