Israel and Hamas have officially agreed to implement the first phase of US President Donald Trump's "Comprehensive End of Gaza War" peace plan. Signed on October 9, the deal sets out a detailed, time-bound sequence of steps to enforce a ceasefire, exchange hostages and prisoners, and open Gaza to humanitarian aid.
According to the plan, the ceasefire will take effect immediately after the Benjamin Netanyahu government formally approves it. All military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardments, will be suspended, and Israeli forces will withdraw from designated areas in Gaza within 24 hours.
Over the next 72 hours, aerial surveillance will be halted over the regions vacated by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
This is the historic “Comprehensive End of Gaza War” Agreement between Israel and Hamas brokered by US President Donald Trump. Via @gilicohen10 pic.twitter.com/r4v9dFdwOa
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) October 9, 2025
Full-scale entry of humanitarian aid will begin immediately, in line with both the new proposal and the January 19, 2025, humanitarian aid agreement. Relief convoys and medical supplies are expected to enter Gaza as part of international coordination and effort.
Israeli forces will pull back to "agreed-upon lines" as marked on a classified map ("Map X") attached to the accord. This withdrawal is to be completed within 24 hours of Israel's approval. The IDF will not re-enter evacuated zones as long as Hamas upholds the terms.
Within 72 hours of the withdrawal, Hamas will begin releasing all Israeli hostages, both living and dead, in Gaza. Those detained by allied Palestinian factions will also be released, per the plan.
Hamas will simultaneously investigate and report the status of any remaining hostages and share details through an information-sharing mechanism facilitated by mediators and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
In return, Israel will release a corresponding number of Palestinian prisoners, with the exchange conducted privately and without public ceremonies or media coverage.
A structured process will be established through mediators and the ICRC to coordinate intelligence and logistics regarding missing or dead hostages, as well as Gazan remains held in Israel. Both parties are required to cooperate fully to ensure all remains are safely recovered and returned.
An international task force, including representatives from the United States, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and other countries mutually approved by both sides, will oversee implementation, mediate disputes, and ensure compliance with each step of the plan.
The agreement focuses on Hamas's disarmament, Gaza's governance, and long-term security arrangements for later negotiations.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas carried out an attack on a music festival in southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Some were freed in earlier ceasefires, but 48 hostages remain in Gaza. Roughly 20 are believed to be alive, and the rest presumed dead, as per Associated Press.
In the past two years, Israel's ongoing war on Gaza has killed over 67,200 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. The attacks have destroyed vast parts of the 365 square kilometre land, including homes, hospitals, schools and displaced nearly the entire population. Israel has also imposed severe restrictions on fuel, food, and medical supplies, reportedly triggering a famine. International bodies, including the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, have accused the Netanyahu government of committing genocide, allegations Israel denies.
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