Israel and Hamas will exchange hostages and prisoners after agreeing to
1st phase of Gaza peace plan
[October 09, 2025]
By SAMY MAGDY, SAM MEDNICK and AAMER MADHANI
CAIRO (AP) — Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a peace plan
for Gaza, paving the way for a pause in the fighting and the release of
the remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Palestinians greeted the news cautiously Thursday as a possible
breakthrough in ending the devastating 2-year-old war.
Uncertainty remains about some of the thornier aspects of the plan
advanced by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump — such as
whether and how Hamas will disarm, and who will govern Gaza. But the
sides appear closer than they have been in months to ending a war that
has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, destroyed most of Gaza and
brought famine to parts of it, and triggered other conflicts across the
Middle East.
The war, which began with Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7,
2023, has sparked worldwide protests and increasingly isolated Israel,
as well as bringing allegations of genocide that Israel denies.
Even with agreement expected to be signed later in the day, Israeli
strikes continued, with explosions seen Thursday morning in northern
Gaza. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strikes but
earlier in the day said it had begun preparations for the implementation
of the ceasefire, and troops were planning to transition to “adjusted
deployment lines.”
Following news of the agreement, Alaa Abd Rabbo, originally from
northern Gaza but forced to move multiple times during the war, said it
was “a godsend.”
“This is the day we have been waiting for,” he said from the central
city of Deir al-Balah. “We want to go home.”
In Tel Aviv, families of the remaining hostages popped champagne and
cried tears of joy when the deal was announced.
“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,” Trump wrote on
social media late Wednesday after the agreement was reached. “All
Parties will be treated fairly!”
Under the terms, Hamas intends to release all 20 living hostages in a
matter of days, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from
the majority of Gaza, people familiar with the matter told The
Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss details of an
agreement that has not fully been made public.
In an interview on Fox News, Trump said Hamas will begin releasing
hostages “probably” on Monday.
The breakthrough came on the third say of indirect talks in Egypt.
“With God’s help we will bring them all home,” Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu proclaimed on social media shortly after Trump's
announcement. Netanyahu said he would convene the government Thursday to
approve the deal.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has opposed previous
ceasefire deals, said he had “mixed emotions on a complex morning.”
While he welcomed the return of the hostages, he said he had “immense
fear about the consequences of emptying the jails and releasing the next
generation of terrorist leaders” and said that as soon as the hostages
are returned, Israel must continue trying to eradicate Hamas and ensure
Gaza is demilitarized.
Hamas, meanwhile, called on Trump and the mediators to ensure that
Israel implements “without disavowal or delay” the troop withdrawal, the
entry of aid into the territory and the exchange of prisoners.
Ahmed al-Farra, the general director of pediatrics at Khan Yunis' Nasser
Hospital, which has seen many of the casualties of the war, said he was
still skeptical of Israel following through on the deal but held out
hope.
“We need to go back to living,” he said.
Trump's peace plan
The Trump plan calls for an immediate ceasefire and release of the 48
hostages that militants in Gaza still hold from their attack on Israel
two years ago. Some 1,200 people were killed by Hamas-led militants in
that assault, and 251 were taken hostage. Israel believes around 20 of
the hostages are still alive.
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Einav Zangauker, center, mother of Matan Zangauker, who is being
held hostage by Hamas, celebrates along with other families and
supporters of Israeli hostages after the announcement that Israel
and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan, as they
gather at a plaza known as the hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel,
Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Under the plan, Israel would maintain an open-ended military
presence inside Gaza, along its border with Israel. An international
force, comprised largely of troops from Arab and Muslim countries,
would be responsible for security inside Gaza. The U.S. would lead a
massive internationally funded reconstruction effort in Gaza.
The plan also envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian
Authority — something Netanyahu opposes. But it requires the
authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a
sweeping reform program that could take years to implement.
The Trump plan is even more vague about a future Palestinian state,
which Netanyahu firmly rejects.
Even with many details yet to be agreed, some Palestinians and
Israelis expressed relief at the progress.
“It's a huge day, huge joy,” Ahmed Sheheiber, a Palestinian
displaced man from northern Gaza, said of the ceasefire deal.
Crying over the phone from his shelter in Gaza City, he said he was
waiting “impatiently” for the ceasefire to go into effect to return
to his home in the Jabaliya refugee camp.
Joyful relatives of hostages and their supporters spilled into the
central Tel Aviv square that has become the main gathering point in
the struggle to free the captives.
Einav Zangauker, the mother of Israeli captive Matan Zangauker and a
prominent advocate for the hostages' release, told reporters that
she wants to tell her son she loves him.
“If I have one dream, it is seeing Matan sleep in his own bed,” she
said.
This would be the third ceasefire since the start of the war.
The first, in November 2023, saw more than 100 hostages, mainly
women and children, freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. In
the second, starting in January of this year, Palestinian militants
released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in
exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel ended that
ceasefire in March with a surprise bombardment.
Praying for a deal
In the Gaza Strip, where much of the territory lies in ruins,
Palestinians have been desperate for a breakthrough. Thousands
fleeing Israel’s latest ground offensive have set up makeshift tents
along the beach in the central part of the territory, sometimes
using blankets for shelter.
More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and nearly
170,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and
combatants but says around half of the deaths were women and
children, is part of the Hamas-run government. The United Nations
and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most
reliable estimate of wartime casualties.
Ayman Saber, a Palestinian from Khan Younis, reacted to the
ceasefire announcement by saying he plans to return to his home city
and try to rebuild his house, which was destroyed last year by an
Israeli strike.
“I will rebuild the house, we will rebuild Gaza,” he said.
___
Mednick reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Madhani from Washington.
Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington, Sarah El Deeb in
Beirut, David Rising in Bangkok and Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv,
Israel, contributed to this report.
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