Israel and Hamas reached an agreement for the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, in a breakthrough in negotiations to end the devastating war in Gaza. The deal would involve a pullback of Israeli troops, entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and the release of Israeli hostages as early as this weekend.
The agreement promises at least a cease-fire if not a permanent end to the conflict that has been catastrophic for Gaza’s two million residents and exhausted Israelis. President Trump, who pushed to broker the deal, said on social media that both sides had agreed to the first phase of his peace plan, which requires Israel to pull back its troops to an agreed-upon line in Gaza.
The Israeli military welcomed the agreement and was preparing to lead the operation for the hostages’ return and to “transition to adjusted deployment lines soon.” Mr. Trump said he might travel this weekend to the region, where negotiations were underway in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Some of the most difficult issues between Israel and Gaza appeared to have been left to a future phase of negotiations, including who would rule post-war Gaza and whether Hamas would lay down its weapons. In Gaza, aid workers expressed hope that they could soon begin speeding supplies to the hungry.
The agreement comes after months of deadlocked cease-fire talks, with Hamas saying last week that it was prepared to release all Israeli hostages in exchange for a deal. Israel believes that about 20 living hostages are still being held along with the remains of 28 others who died in captivity.
While details remain unclear, officials indicated that the deal would involve a significant shift for both sides. The agreement promised at least a cease-fire if not a permanent end to the conflict, and President Trump hailed it as “a historic victory” that would bring peace to the Middle East.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10/09/world/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire