Israel and Hamas Agree to Ceasefire Deal to End Gaza War

09 Oct, 2025

By Eli Sachs

For additional background on the Israel-Gaza peace plan, please read our prior article.

UPDATE 1:

According to the BBC's live reporting, airstrikes continued to rain down on Gaza following the official implementation of the ceasefire:

"...Eyewitnesses tell the BBC there's been air strikes and artillery fire in Khan Younis this morning, with gunfire also reported around the Netzarim corridor further north."

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, a total of 17 people have been killed in Gaza in the past 24 hours.

UPDATE 2:

The IDF released a statement announcing the ceasefire was being recognized at 5:28 a.m., saying troops were "positioning themselves along the updated deployment lines." Not all is well, however, as this was followed by an announcement that "IDF troops in the Southern Command are deployed in the area and will continue to remove any immediate threat."

The Israeli government and Hamas have signed the first phase of a major peace and ceasefire agreement, marking the most significant breakthrough in two years of brutal conflict in Gaza. The deal, brokered by President Donald Trump and finalized on October 9 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, comes after months of intense negotiations and growing international pressure for a truce. The agreement initiates a phased ceasefire, a large-scale hostage-prisoner exchange, and a partial Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, but questions still remain about the future governance of Palestine and the path to lasting peace.​

Ceasefire Details and Immediate Impacts

The Israeli cabinet has formally ratified the ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas, meaning the ceasefire is set to go into effect within the next 24 hours. In this first phase, Hamas is expected to release the 20 remaining living Israeli hostages within 72 hours, with Israel freeing 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences. Israeli troops will start pulling back from much of Gaza. Still, they will continue to control over half of the territory, a move likely to spark criticism inside Gaza and across the region. Aid provisions in the agreement guarantee a minimum of 400 trucks of humanitarian supplies entering Gaza daily, targeting immediate relief for the devastated civilian population.​​

Political and Humanitarian Reactions

World leaders have welcomed the deal as the first real step toward peace after consecutive failed ceasefires, but they also acknowledge the enormous obstacles that still lie ahead. Many Western and regional governments have publicly praised the agreement, while both the United Nations and humanitarian organizers have pointed to the catastrophic cost of the war, with more than 67,000 deaths reported in Gaza since October 2023, according to the local health ministry, figures regarded as reliable by the UN. However, violence has not fully abated, with reports confirming that even after announcements of the deal, deadly Israeli airstrikes have continued in some areas of Gaza.​

Next Steps and Remaining Challenges

The first phase is only part of Trump’s broader 20-point peace plan, which lays out a pathway for demilitarizing Gaza, deploying an international stabilization force, and establishing transitional governance by an independent Palestinian technocratic body under international supervision. Although Hamas has agreed to some terms, it still opposes certain conditions, such as demilitarization, and Israel refuses to include key Palestinian figures like Marwan Barghouti in prisoner exchanges. Once hostages are released and troops redeployed, phase two negotiations will begin, covering full military withdrawal, international reconstruction, and political arrangements for Gaza’s governance, with a conditional promise of future Palestinian statehood hanging in the balance.​

The Road Ahead

Key points of contention remain, especially regarding who will ultimately govern Gaza and the likelihood of Hamas fully relinquishing authority. Israel’s military will retain significant control for now, and domestic and international critics warn that this could undermine prospects for stable peace. The first phase’s success, therefore, does not mean an end to suffering or risk. Much depends on continued diplomatic engagement, successful implementation of humanitarian pledges, and a commitment from all stakeholders to pursue the next steps outlined in the peace initiative.

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