Washington / Tel Aviv, 10 October 2025: Israel’s cabinet on Thursday approved the first phase of a U.S.-brokered Gaza peace proposal spearheaded by former President Donald Trump, setting the stage for a fragile ceasefire, the release of hostages, and an unprecedented humanitarian operation in the war-torn enclave.
The agreement—described by Trump as “the beginning of lasting peace in the Middle East”—calls for Israel’s military to withdraw from key parts of Gaza within 24 hours, followed by the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas over a 72-hour period. In return, Israel will free hundreds of Palestinian detainees from its prisons.
“This is a deal built on courage and compassion,” Trump said at his Florida estate, announcing what he called “Phase One of the Gaza Peace Framework.” He said the plan’s goal was to “stop the killing, bring people home, and give Gaza a future beyond war.”
According to Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office, the ceasefire will take effect once the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) begin a partial pullback from populated zones inside Gaza. The army will reposition along what officials described as a “yellow line,” roughly demarcating a temporary security boundary.
Under the deal, Hamas is expected to release all surviving hostages, as well as return the remains of those killed, within 72 hours of the Israeli withdrawal. In exchange, Israel will release Palestinian prisoners and allow international monitors to oversee the process.
“Once the ceasefire is in place, aid trucks will surge into Gaza,” a senior Israeli official told reporters. “We are talking about the largest humanitarian operation since the start of the war.”
United Nations agencies confirmed that preparations are under way for hundreds of aid convoys carrying food, medicine, and fuel for the two million displaced residents of Gaza.
Despite the cabinet’s approval, eyewitnesses reported airstrikes in several parts of Gaza overnight, raising doubts about the immediate implementation of the ceasefire. The Israeli military did not comment on the strikes but said its operations were “focused on defensive measures pending the start of the agreed timeline.”
Hamas officials, speaking to Al Jazeera, said they were “assessing Israel’s sincerity” and would not proceed with hostage releases until Israeli forces “fully disengage from occupied areas.”
The U.S., Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey are expected to form a joint monitoring task force to oversee compliance. American officials said the deal represents “the most substantial progress” toward ending the conflict since the war began in October 2023.
“This is the first tangible pathway to both silence the guns and address the humanitarian catastrophe,” a senior U.S. official said, adding that “Phase Two” will focus on Gaza’s governance and reconstruction.
Analysts cautioned that political divisions in Israel and internal pressures within Hamas could still derail the agreement. Several right-wing Israeli ministers opposed the deal, warning it “rewards terrorism” and weakens national security.
Critics in Gaza, meanwhile, said the plan risks sidelining Palestinian aspirations for sovereignty. “This proposal cannot be a substitute for a just political settlement,” a Palestinian commentator wrote in Al-Quds newspaper.
Trump, who has touted the plan as a diplomatic breakthrough ahead of the U.S. elections, said the deal’s success would depend on “good faith, not politics.”
“This is only the beginning,” he said. “If both sides keep their word, peace will follow.”
The next three days will determine whether the ceasefire holds. If implemented, the deal would mark the first sustained pause in fighting in more than a year and a half, potentially opening the way for broader talks on Gaza’s future governance and reconstruction.
For now, Gaza’s skies remain tense. But if the plan proceeds as designed, by the weekend the guns could fall silent—at least for a while.
