Historic Gaza Ceasefire Deal Reached: Hostages for Withdrawal, But Major Issues Remain

In a dramatic diplomatic breakthrough, Israel and Hamas have officially agreed to the first phase of a U.S.-brokered peace plan aimed at ending the two-year war in the Gaza Strip. The deal, cemented during indirect talks in Egypt, was confirmed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Hamas officials late on Wednesday, marking the most significant step toward de-escalation since the conflict began.
The agreement focuses on immediate humanitarian relief and the exchange of captives, but as reported by Axios journalists Barak Ravid and Dave Lawler, it carefully sidesteps the most complex, existential questions of the conflict—leaving the issues of Hamas’s disarmament and the future governance of Gaza for later, more difficult negotiations.
The Immediate Terms of the Phase One Agreement
The agreement is built on the first pillar of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan, establishing a strict performance timeline for the release of hostages and an initial repositioning of Israeli forces.
◦ Hostage Release: Hamas has committed to releasing all of the remaining living Israeli hostages, estimated to be around 20 individuals, in a single batch. This release is expected to commence rapidly, potentially within 72 hours of the Israeli cabinet approving the deal (an approval expected on Thursday). The agreement also includes provisions for the return of the remains of deceased hostages.
◦ Israeli Withdrawal and Ceasefire: Israel has agreed to an initial, partial withdrawal of its troops from the Gaza Strip, pulling back to an “agreed-upon line.” A senior U.S. official indicated that this initial military pullback must take place within 24 hours of government approval. This step signals a definitive halt to the current fighting, allowing humanitarian aid to flood into the enclave.
◦ Palestinian Prisoner Exchange: In exchange for the hostages, Israel will release a significant number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. According to reports, the exchange includes 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,700 other Gazans detained since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, fulfilling a long-standing Hamas demand.
◦ Humanitarian Surge: The deal mandates an immediate and substantial increase in humanitarian aid, including food, medical supplies, and fuel, with reports suggesting up to 600 trucks per day, to address the catastrophic conditions in Gaza.
President Trump hailed the breakthrough on his social media platform, stating: “This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”
The Unresolved Deadlock: Disarmament and Governance
While the agreement secures an end to the current fighting and the release of hostages—the immediate, emotionally charged priority for Israel—it strategically defers the core issues that led to the war. The inability to bridge these fundamental divides forced negotiators to limit the scope of the current deal to only the first phase.
1. The Disarmament of Hamas
The U.S. peace plan’s overall goal is the full disarmament and demilitarization of Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza. Israel and the U.S. maintain that the conflict cannot truly end while Hamas retains its military capabilities, including its rocket arsenal, manufacturing sites, and vast tunnel network.
◦ Hamas’s Stance: Hamas has historically refused to disarm and did not explicitly agree to this clause in its formal response to the initial Trump plan. The group has indicated it would transfer administrative power to a body of technocrats but has remained vague on the fate of its armed wing, arguing that its weapons are necessary for resistance until a sovereign Palestinian state is established.
◦ Negotiation Challenge: The current ceasefire deal avoids setting a specific timeline or mechanism for disarmament, transforming it into the central subject of the future Phase Two negotiations. Arab governments and international partners are expected to pressure Hamas to follow through on this commitment, as reconstruction funding is widely seen as conditional on the neutralization of military capabilities.
1. The Future Governing Structure of Gaza
The question of who will rule Gaza in the “day after” remains highly contested and unresolved by the Phase One deal.
◦ The Plan’s Vision: The Trump plan calls for Hamas to surrender its governing power to a transitional authority of Palestinian technocrats, who would oversee reconstruction and day-to-day affairs under the supervision of a new international body.
◦ The Political Vacuum: The agreement only stipulates an initial Israeli pullback, leaving a political and security vacuum in the vacated areas. While Hamas has consented to a form of power transfer, it is still negotiating the specifics of the interim authority and has rejected the idea of being subject to foreign oversight. The future role of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which the plan suggests would take over after reforms, also remains deeply uncertain given the PA’s domestic unpopularity.
In essence, the agreement reached in Sharm el-Sheikh represents a crucial humanitarian and political achievement by guaranteeing the return of hostages and halting the devastating conflict. However, the move to postpone negotiations on disarmament and governance means the long-term prospects for a durable peace are far from secured, as the parties must soon confront the very issues that triggered the war two years ago.