Israel and Hamas reach deal on Gaza and hostages: Key details

The information about the ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages was confirmed by an official Israeli source. Several Western media outlets have also reported on this.

Hamas representatives issued a statement to the residents of Gaza, urging them to wait for the official start of the ceasefire before attempting to return to their abandoned homes.

US President-elect Donald Trump confirmed the deal regarding the Israeli hostages. "They will be released shortly," he wrote on Truth Social.

An official statement will soon be released by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, the mediators in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

Meanwhile, it is reported that the Israeli Security Cabinet will meet tomorrow at 11:00 to approve the hostage agreement.

The details of the Gaza Strip agreement

According to publications in Israeli media, in the first stage, which will last 42 days, Hamas terrorists are expected to release a portion of Israeli hostages. This involves 33 people: children, women, the elderly, and the sick.

According to The Times of Israel, Hamas is currently holding 94 hostages, but at least 34 of them are already dead. This is not the first such exchange. In November 2023, a temporary ceasefire was reached, and Hamas released 105 hostages in exchange for 150 convicted terrorists, fuel, and other supplies. Four more were rescued during the Israeli Defense Forces' operation in June 2024.

If the release of hostages occurs, Israel will begin negotiations for the second phase on the 16th day after the agreement’s start. This will involve the release of other male prisoners of conscription age.

In exchange, Israel will gradually withdraw its troops from most of the Gaza Strip, but will maintain control over the buffer zone to protect its borders. Israel will also release several militants currently held in Israeli prisons.

As a Hamas representative stated in a comment to the BBC, Israel must release 1,000 prisoners, including about 190 serving long sentences of over 15 years. According to the Associated Press, five female soldiers are among the 33 Israeli hostages, and for each one, 50 militants will be released.

The third phase includes the return of hostages' bodies, as well as the creation of a plan for building and a new governance structure for Gaza.

Given the lack of trust between Israel and Hamas, the agreement is broken into many stages. Each subsequent step is strictly tied to the completion of the previous one.

Specifically, on the first day, terrorists will release three hostages, and Israel will begin withdrawing its troops from the populated areas of the Gaza Strip. A week later, four more hostages will be released, and displaced persons will be allowed to return to their homes.

Operation Iron Sword in the Gaza Strip

Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip was a response to the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. According to official Israeli data, militants killed 1,200 people and took another 250 hostage.

In over a year of Operation Iron Sword, most of the enclave has been devastated, and the population displaced. Bloodshed in Gaza continues to this day. Today, the IDF reported the deaths of five soldiers in the northern sector, while Palestinian sources reported at least 20 fatalities due to Israeli strikes.

In recent months, fighting along Gaza's northern border has been particularly intense as Israel sought to prevent Hamas from regrouping.

Earlier, US President-elect Donald Trump warned that "hell will break out" in the Middle East if Hamas does not release the hostages. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, insisted on a ceasefire in Gaza before Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

Negotiations were stalled for months but resumed at the beginning of 2025. Hamas has always insisted that the agreement should lead to an end to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Israel has said it will not end the war until Hamas is dismantled.