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What we know so far about the Gaza deal – and what needs to happen next
Updated ,first published
Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners, US President Donald Trump has announced.
Negotiators have been meeting in Egypt for days to hash out a Trump-backed peace plan that he hopes will ultimately result in a permanent end to the two-year war and bring about a sustainable peace in the region.
Scroll down to read the full text of Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan released by the White House.
The war began with Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, when about 1200 people were killed during the cross-border assault. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead, devastated Gaza and upended global politics.
Here’s what we know so far.
What have Israel and Hamas signed?
In a post on Truth Social announcing the deal, Trump said that “ALL of the Hostages” would be released very soon and that Israel would “withdraw their troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace”.
The initial agreement – which Trump described as a “first phase” of a peace plan – was confirmed by Israeli officials and Hamas, as well as mediator Qatar.
The negotiators said an agreement had been reached on all terms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire – including an end to the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and entry of aid into Gaza – according to a Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
Hamas said the agreement also includes a secure Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a hostage-prisoner swap, and called on Trump and guarantor states to ensure Israel implements the deal.
People familiar with the matter told the Associated Press that the Israeli military would begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would convene the government on Thursday to approve the agreement. Once that occurs, Israeli forces will begin withdrawing to the agreed-upon boundary, according to a senior White House official. That should take less than 24 hours, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss planning.
“A great day for Israel,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
What about the next phases of the peace deal?
It was not immediately clear whether the parties had made any progress on thornier questions about the future of the conflict, including whether Hamas will disarm, as Trump has demanded, and eventual governance of the war-torn territory.
The next phase of Trump’s plan calls for an international body led by Trump and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to play a role in Gaza’s post-war administration.
Arab countries that back the plan say it must lead to eventual independence for a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu says will never happen.
There is no clear indication who will rule Gaza when the war ends. Netanyahu, Trump, Western and Arab states have ruled out a role for Hamas, which has run Gaza since driving out Palestinian rivals in 2007.
Hamas has said it would relinquish Gaza governance only to a Palestinian technocrat government supervised by the Palestinian Authority and backed by Arab and Muslim countries. It rejects any role for Blair or foreign rule of Gaza.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that the full details of the ceasefire agreement would be announced later.
How many hostages and prisoners are in Israel and Gaza?
About 1200 people were killed during Hamas’ cross-border assault on October 7, 2023, and 251 were taken hostage back to Gaza, according to Israeli officials.
Many hostages have been returned via previous swaps with Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, while other hostages have died while in Gaza.
Of the 48 hostages still in Gaza, about 20 are believed to still be alive.
Hamas plans to release all living hostages this weekend or on Monday, people familiar with the matter told the Associated Press, while an Israeli government spokesperson said the hostage release was expected to begin on Saturday. Trump later told Fox News’ that the hostages held in Gaza would probably be released on Monday.
The bodies of the dead hostages will be handed over at a later stage, in phases.
The Israeli military said that Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir instructed forces to prepare strong defences, to be ready for any scenario and to prepare to lead the operation for the hostages’ return with sensitivity and professionalism.
The Hostages Families Forum, a grassroots group representing many of the hostage families, said it had received the news of a ceasefire with “excitement, anticipation, and apprehension”. It praised Trump for his “commitment and determination that led to this historic breakthrough”.
In return, Israel is expected to set free about 2000 Palestinian prisoners. According to a Palestinian source close to the talks, they include Marwan Barghouti, a leading figure in the Fatah movement, and Ahmed Saadat, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Both are serving multiple life sentences for involvement in attacks that killed Israelis.
Barghouti remains the most popular Palestinian leader, according to recent polls by the West Bank-based Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research, and has been cited as a possible future leader of a Palestinian state.
It was not immediately clear which Palestinian prisoners, including Barghouti, would be included in the first phase of the deal.
How many people have been killed in Gaza since the war began?
While the full extent of the casualties is difficult to determine and could be much higher than official estimates, Gaza authorities say more than 67,000 people have been killed and much of the enclave has been flattened since Israel began its military response after the October 7 attack.
The United Nations and humanitarian groups have also repeatedly warned of severe food shortages, with parts of Gaza City and its surrounding areas facing famine conditions.
A study published in the British medical journal The Lancet in 2024 suggested the overall death toll, when including those killed indirectly by a lack of food or medical care, could be far higher.
“It is not implausible to estimate that up to 186,000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza”, study authors Rasha Khatib, Martin McKee and Salim Yusuf wrote.
Reuters, AP
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The full text of the Gaza plan released by the White House
1. Gaza will be a deradicalised terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbours.
2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.
3. If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.
4. Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.
5. Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.
6. Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.
7. Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.
8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025 agreement.
9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.
10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energise Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesise the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.
11. A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.
12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.
13. Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarisation of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbours.
14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbours or its people.
15. The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilisation Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalise Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.
16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarisation that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the United States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.
17. In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.
18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasising the benefits that can be derived from peace.
19. While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognise as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.
20. The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.
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Paul Dyer works on the foreign desk for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.