A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas is scheduled to take effect on the evening of October 9, pending Israeli government ratification, an official from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office told Reuters. The implementation timeline involves multiple stages, with the final hostage releases potentially occurring on October 13.
This comes after Netanyahu met with US President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss the American president’s Gaza peace deal.
Following government approval, a 24-hour period will allow for potential appeals to the High Court of Justice, the source claimed. Once that window closes, Hamas will have 72 hours to fulfill its obligations under the agreement and release all hostages, both living and deceased.
The window for appeal could extend the final release date to October 13 rather than October 12, with Israel and Hamas reaching an informal understanding without a signed document.
Living Israeli hostages are expected to be released first without "release ceremonies," a source familiar with the agreement told Israel's Knesset News on October 9. The release schedule for deceased hostages remains uncertain.
Negotiations continue regarding the identities of Palestinian prisoners to be released. Hamas is demanding the release of individuals Israel has not yet approved, according to sources.
A local source told Israeli state broadcaster Kan 11 that the release mechanism will mirror previous deals: "Murderers will not be released to the West Bank, and the issue of the third state has not yet been determined."
Hamas has informed mediators and Israel that it does not know the whereabouts of several hostages. Consequently, an Israeli-Egyptian-Qatari-Palestinian mechanism will be established to locate and facilitate the release of remaining hostages. Israel maintains that the release of all hostages is an essential component of the agreement.
“The end of the war will come as a relief to us,” Israeli cemical engineering student Shani told bne IntelliNews. “The thing we’re most worried about is the release of the hostages and knowing whether they are alive.”
Noam, a software engineer, told bne IntelliNews: “The end of the war hasn’t sunk in yet. I think it’s because many are worried that Hamas could still abandon the deal. Still, I hope that they wil abide by it as we do not want to continue living under the threat of missiles. There aren’t as many from Gaza anymore but the Houthis from Yemen remain persistent.”
Hamas Confirms First Phase Agreement To End Gaza War
US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have signed the first phase of his proposed peace plan, calling it “a great day for the Arab and Islamic world, Israel, and the United States.”
Trump said the agreement includes the imminent release of all Israeli hostages and a withdrawal of Israeli forces to an agreed-upon line as “the first steps toward a strong and lasting peace.”
In a post on Truth Social, the US president thanked the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, stressing that “all parties will be treated fairly.”
For its part, Hamas confirmed that it had reached an agreement to end the war on Gaza, ensure the full withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces, allow the entry of humanitarian aid, and implement a comprehensive prisoner exchange.
In a detailed statement, Hamas said that “after responsible and serious negotiations conducted by the movement and the Palestinian resistance factions regarding President Trump’s proposal in Sharm El-Sheikh, aiming to reach a ceasefire to stop the genocidal war against our Palestinian people and the withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip, (…) Hamas announces reaching an agreement to end the war on Gaza, the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from it, the entry of aid, and the exchange of prisoners.”
Hamas expressed “deep appreciation for the efforts of the brotherly mediators in Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey,” and also “valued the efforts of US President Donald Trump seeking to permanently stop the war and ensure the full withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza.”
Hamas called on “President Trump, the guarantor countries of the agreement, and various Arab, Islamic, and international parties to force the occupation government to fully implement the agreement’s clauses and not allow it to renege on its promises or delay the implementation of what has been agreed upon today.”
The statement also paid tribute to the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, saluting “our great people in the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, the West Bank, and in exile, who displayed unprecedented stances of dignity, heroism, and honor in confronting the fascist occupation project targeting them and their national rights.”
Hamas affirmed that “the sacrifices of our people will not be in vain, and we will remain committed to the pledge and will not abandon our people’s national rights until freedom, independence, and self-determination are achieved.”
Israeli Channel 12 reported that the agreement will be formally signed on Thursday, with the first exchange of detainees expected over the weekend.
During a live roundtable at the White House, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was seen handing President Trump a memo, which CNN later reported contained details suggesting that “an agreement on Gaza was very close.”
Agence France-Presse reported that Washington was already drafting the text of Trump’s expected speech to announce the deal.
Trump told reporters that he might “head to the Middle East before the hostages are released,” possibly visiting Egypt. When asked whether he would consider visiting Gaza, he replied, “I might, but I haven’t made a specific decision yet.”
The White House later announced that Trump would undergo a routine annual medical checkup on Friday and was considering traveling to the region afterward.
US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have signed the first phase of his proposed peace plan, calling it “a great day for the Arab and Islamic world, Israel, and the United States.”
Trump said the agreement includes the imminent release of all Israeli hostages and a withdrawal of Israeli forces to an agreed-upon line as “the first steps toward a strong and lasting peace.”
In a post on Truth Social, the US president thanked the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, stressing that “all parties will be treated fairly.”
For its part, Hamas confirmed that it had reached an agreement to end the war on Gaza, ensure the full withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces, allow the entry of humanitarian aid, and implement a comprehensive prisoner exchange.
In a detailed statement, Hamas said that “after responsible and serious negotiations conducted by the movement and the Palestinian resistance factions regarding President Trump’s proposal in Sharm El-Sheikh, aiming to reach a ceasefire to stop the genocidal war against our Palestinian people and the withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip, (…) Hamas announces reaching an agreement to end the war on Gaza, the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from it, the entry of aid, and the exchange of prisoners.”
Hamas expressed “deep appreciation for the efforts of the brotherly mediators in Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey,” and also “valued the efforts of US President Donald Trump seeking to permanently stop the war and ensure the full withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza.”
Hamas called on “President Trump, the guarantor countries of the agreement, and various Arab, Islamic, and international parties to force the occupation government to fully implement the agreement’s clauses and not allow it to renege on its promises or delay the implementation of what has been agreed upon today.”
The statement also paid tribute to the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, saluting “our great people in the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, the West Bank, and in exile, who displayed unprecedented stances of dignity, heroism, and honor in confronting the fascist occupation project targeting them and their national rights.”
Hamas affirmed that “the sacrifices of our people will not be in vain, and we will remain committed to the pledge and will not abandon our people’s national rights until freedom, independence, and self-determination are achieved.”
Israeli Channel 12 reported that the agreement will be formally signed on Thursday, with the first exchange of detainees expected over the weekend.
During a live roundtable at the White House, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was seen handing President Trump a memo, which CNN later reported contained details suggesting that “an agreement on Gaza was very close.”
Agence France-Presse reported that Washington was already drafting the text of Trump’s expected speech to announce the deal.
Trump told reporters that he might “head to the Middle East before the hostages are released,” possibly visiting Egypt. When asked whether he would consider visiting Gaza, he replied, “I might, but I haven’t made a specific decision yet.”
The White House later announced that Trump would undergo a routine annual medical checkup on Friday and was considering traveling to the region afterward.
Palestine Chronicle
The Palestine Chronicle publishes news and commentary related to the Middle East Peace Conflict.
The first phase of the Gaza peace plan, which is set to be signed Thursday in Egypt, entails the release of 20 living Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity while Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, most of whom were detained at the start of the war, according to sources. Here are more details on the latest US-backed Gaza ceasefire deal.
Issued on: 09/10/2025 -
By: FRANCE 24
US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire in Gaza, after days of indirect talks in Egypt.
Qatar, which helped broker the deal along with Egypt, the United States and Turkey, said the deal was the "first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid".
"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 his Truth Social network.
Here is what is known so far about the agreement, which is set to be signed Thursday in Egypt.
What does it include?
Hamas will release 20 living hostages at the same time as part of the first phase of the deal, a Palestinian source close to the negotiations said.
A top official within Hamas told AFP Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners: 250 among those serving life sentences and 1,700 others detained since the start of the war.
Read more How Donald Trump engineered the Gaza deal
The exchange should take place within 72 hours of the implementation of the deal, which was also "agreed with Palestinian factions", another source within Hamas said.
A daily minimum of 400 trucks of aid will enter the Gaza Strip for the first five days of the ceasefire, to be increased in following days, according to the same source.
It also provides for the "return of displaced persons from the south of the Gaza Strip to Gaza (City) and the north immediately," they added.
The deal stipulates "scheduled withdrawals" of Israeli troops, the Hamas top official said, and includes "guarantees from President Trump and the mediators".
Hamas called in an official statement on Trump to compel Israel to fully implement the agreement and "not allow it to evade or procrastinate in implementing what has been agreed".
What's next?
Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said both sides have already agreed "on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement".
03:22
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will convene his government on Thursday to approve the agreement.
The deal will be formally signed on Thursday around midday in Egypt, a source with knowledge of the agreement told AFP on condition of anonymity.
A Hamas official said negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire would begin "immediately".
Trump said Wednesday he believed all the hostages, including the deceased will be "coming back" Monday.
Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza had called for a ceasefire, the release of all the hostages held in Gaza, Hamas's disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the territory.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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