What do we know about the hostage-ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas?

By Staff Writer

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a major deal that could see the release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza within days, alongside a large-scale prisoner exchange and a temporary ceasefire. 

The framework, based on US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Gaza war, was finalised during talks in Sharm el-Sheikh and represents the most significant diplomatic breakthrough since the war began.

According to senior Israeli and Palestinian officials, the agreement includes the release of roughly 20 living hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including around 250 serving life sentences. The handover is expected to take place within 72 hours of the deal’s activation and has been coordinated with other Palestinian factions.

The plan also outlines the return of the bodies of approximately 28 Israeli captives who died in Gaza. Israel will, in turn, repatriate 15 Palestinian bodies for every Israeli one returned. Hamas has warned however that recovering all remains may take time.

Israel has maintained firm red lines on prisoner releases. Members of Hamas’s Nukhba force who participated in the October 07 attacks will not be freed, nor will several high-profile figures long sought by Hamas, including Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Sa’adat, Hassan Salameh, and Abbas al-Sayed.

A senior Israeli negotiator involved in the talks said both sides had “aligned around” Trump’s 20-point framework, describing “good spirit” in the negotiations. “This is the best position we could be in,” the official told reporters. “If Hamas returns the living and the bodies, the IDF will still be deployed inside Gaza, and the world will be with us. That gives Israel leverage.”

The official said the agreement would be implemented in phases. “Phase one is hostages home. Phase two is measurable steps toward demilitarisation. If they start turning in weapons, we proceed. If not, we do not move forward.” Hamas has resisted the explicit use of the term “demilitarisation,” which its leadership fears would be politically untenable at home.

The deal also includes provisions for a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces to predesignated lines inside Gaza, beginning once the hostages are released. Israel will initially retain control over around 53 per cent of the territory until all captives are accounted for.

A parallel humanitarian package has been agreed, with a daily minimum of 400 aid trucks to enter Gaza during the first five days of the ceasefire, increasing in the following days. The Rafah crossing is to reopen in both directions, allowing for the evacuation of wounded Palestinians to Egypt for medical treatment. Displaced civilians from the south of Gaza will also be permitted to return north once the truce takes effect.

The negotiations have drawn together an unusual coalition of mediators, including Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, under direct US coordination. Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff joined the latest round of discussions, which diplomats say helped consolidate regional pressure on Hamas to move forward. “The Arab world is pressing Hamas now. That is the change,” the Israeli negotiator said.

The talks continued despite tensions following an Israeli strike in Doha last month, which prompted an apology from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Many said it would blow up the channel. In practice, pressure on Hamas increased,” the negotiator added.

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who has led the negotiating team for a hostage release-ceasefire deal with Hamas since February, remains central to the process despite political criticism at home. Israeli officials said preparations for the first stage of the plan are already underway, with initial releases potentially beginning as early as Sunday or Monday.

Once the Israel Defence Forces reach their staging line inside Gaza, the 72-hour countdown to the exchange will begin. “Limbo is dangerous for our forces,” the negotiator said. “The deal will not give Israel everything it wants. But first, bring them home. Everything else follows.”

At present, 48 hostages remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 26 confirmed dead. Twenty are believed to be alive, with the fate of two others uncertain.