US-mediated ceasefire agreement includes phased hostage exchange and military withdrawal from Gaza
Jerusalem, Israel – Israel’s government approved a ceasefire and hostage release agreement with Hamas on Thursday, potentially ending months of agonizing negotiations over captives held in Gaza since October 2023.
Government Statement Confirms Hostage Framework
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement confirming the cabinet’s decision late Thursday. “The government has just approved the framework for the release of all the hostages, both the living and the deceased,” it reads.
The announcement follows intensive US-led diplomatic efforts. Officials say the ceasefire should take effect immediately, though there’s already a wrinkle: a senior Hamas official suggested the group expects a formal declaration ending the war before they’ll release anyone.
BBC and CNN both confirmed the development Thursday evening. Details of the multi-phase agreement are still trickling out.
US Deploys Troops to Monitor Implementation
Around 200 American troops will head to the Middle East to oversee how this deal plays out, according to a senior US official. It’s Washington putting skin in the game, a direct commitment to making sure both sides follow through.
These troops won’t enter Gaza itself, a second official clarified. They’ll probably be stationed somewhere nearby to watch prisoner exchanges and verify ceasefire compliance.
For the US, this is a big bet on a conflict that’s drained American diplomatic capital for months. Washington’s been pushing for a ceasefire while trying to balance support for Israel against mounting international anger over Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe.
What the Agreement Includes
The deal appears to have several moving parts. All hostages currently in Gaza get released, though nobody’s saying exactly when or how many are still alive. The phased release timeline hasn’t been spelled out.
Israeli forces will pull back to some designated area within Gaza. Which zones stay under Israeli control? How far back do troops go? The statement doesn’t say.
Israel will also release Palestinian prisoners from its detention facilities. The exact ratio hasn’t been disclosed, but previous negotiations floated numbers as high as 10 or even 15 Palestinians for every Israeli hostage.
Hamas has been holding dozens of hostages since the October 7, 2023 attacks that kicked off this whole nightmare. Families of the captives have been putting enormous pressure on Netanyahu, sometimes protesting, sometimes confronting officials directly, demanding their loved ones come home.
Hamas Response and Conditions
That senior Hamas official’s comment about wanting “a formal declaration ending the war” is telling. It suggests Hamas might be looking for guarantees beyond just a temporary pause in fighting.
This could get messy if both sides are reading different things into the same agreement. Netanyahu’s already catching heat from his right-wing coalition partners who don’t want military operations to stop at all.
Is this actually the end of the war, or just another temporary break? That’s the million-dollar question. Previous ceasefires fell apart within days, with each side blaming the other for violations.
International Reaction and Next Steps
Most of the international community seems cautiously pleased, though everyone’s waiting for more details. European and Arab countries that helped broker talks will likely have monitoring roles going forward.
Bigger questions loom. Who governs Gaza long-term? How does reconstruction happen when so much infrastructure is destroyed? Does this deal actually address why this keeps happening, or is it just kicking the can down the road?
For families who’ve been waiting since October 2023 for any word about their loved ones, Thursday’s news offers something they haven’t had much of: hope. But hope’s fragile. Until hostages actually walk across into Israeli territory and Palestinian prisoners get released, nobody really knows if this agreement will hold.
The next few days will show whether deep mistrust on both sides can be overcome, or whether this is just another false start in a conflict that seems to have no end.
