ISRAEL and Hamas agreed to a Gaza ceasefire deal on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, offering a temporary end to the two-year conflict. The initial agreement, announced after intense negotiations in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, outlines a phased Israeli troop withdrawal, the reopening of five border crossings for humanitarian aid, and mechanisms for a prisoner exchange.
The truce, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and the United States, comes after the conflict killed over 67,000 Palestinians, injured almost 170,000 others, and left the Gaza enclave extensively ruined.
The path to a deal
This ceasefire represents the “first phase” of a U.S.-backed peace plan that followed months of diplomatic effort. The two-year conflict erupted dramatically on Oct. 7, 2023, when a large-scale Hamas attack on southern Israel killed roughly 1,200 people and resulted in about 250 hostages being taken. Since then, Israeli military assaults have destroyed approximately 80 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure and displaced nearly two million residents, apart from creating the human casualties cited by United Nations (UN) estimates.
The current deal establishes detailed reciprocal obligations. Hamas officials said that the ceasefire will take effect immediately upon Israeli government approval. The Israeli side, however, stated that the ceasefire will take effect within 24 hours after its security cabinet votes on the agreement in a meeting scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed on Thursday, Oct. 9, that they had already “begun operational preparations” for the first of a three-phase withdrawal from Gaza and have started pulling out three army divisions from Gaza City since Wednesday night in preparation for redeployment around Khan Younis.
Perspectives and terms
The ceasefire offers a moment of emotional release — with Israeli families of hostages embracing in Hostages Square and Gazans celebrating spontaneously amid the ruins — but it is met with guarded optimism from the Middle East region and political division within Israel.
Proponents (Israel and Hamas officials): Both sides have indicated that the deal is set for ratification. For Hamas, the deal represents “the fruit of the steadfastness and sacrifices of the Palestinian people over two years of ongoing Israeli aggression”. The agreement’s terms, as outlined by a senior Hamas official, include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza City, northern Gaza, Rafah and Khan Younis; the cessation of drone operations in the Gaza Strip’s airspace during the prisoner release process; and the release of approximately 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 other prisoners. Hamas has reportedly provided mediators with the prisoner lists and begun relocating Israeli detainees to safe locations ahead of handover to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Critics/skeptics: Political resistance from far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition threatens to complicate the voting process, although the deal is expected to secure majority support. Furthermore, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the military to respond with “great force” to any potential threat or attack by Hamas. Analysts caution that the deal is only a first step and “does not mean the conflict is over.” They worry the political and security dynamics that fueled the conflict are far from resolved, and that truces without monitoring have collapsed quickly in the past.
Regional requirements: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas emphasized key requirements for success: immediate implementation, release of all hostages and prisoners, unrestricted humanitarian access, and a clear reconstruction process. Abbas stressed that “sovereignty over Gaza belongs to the State of Palestine.” Jordan, Iraq, Türkiye, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Oman all endorsed the deal, highlighting its potential to facilitate aid delivery and regional stability. The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) called the deal a “respite” and noted the UNRWA has three months of supplies ready for immediate distribution.
Unresolved questions and what’s at stake
While the first phase is agreed upon, significant issues remain unclear, testing the deal’s ability to evolve from a temporary truce into lasting peace.
Commitment to implementation and monitoring: The most immediate concern is ensuring both sides’ adherence to the deal. Past experiences show that without concrete international guarantees and monitoring, truces can fail quickly. The fact that 11 people were killed and 49 injured by Israeli assaults across Gaza in the 24 hours leading up to the announcement, including 13 wounded while seeking aid, underscores the continuing fragility of the situation.
Gaza’s political future and reconstruction: The enormous task of rebuilding Gaza’s devastated infrastructure and reorganizing its internal political landscape looms large. About 80 percent of the territory’s infrastructure has been destroyed. Gazans know their shattered lives will take years to rebuild and emphasize the need for sustained international effort to prevent a recurrence of this tragedy.
Root cause of conflict: Many analysts remain skeptical about long-term peace, arguing that “the possibility of continued confrontation remains.” Without addressing the root of the conflict — the occupation and denial of Palestinian rights — any talk of comprehensive peace remains an illusion, suggesting that a just solution to the Palestinian issue is required for any U.S. initiative to truly succeed.
What comes next
The immediate next steps involve the Israeli security cabinet ratification vote and the subsequent implementation of the prisoner exchange, which Israeli officials have indicated would likely begin on Saturday or Sunday. Hospitals in the Tel Aviv area are already making preparations for the arriving hostages for medical checks and recovery.
Looking forward, the success of this first phase will determine if the deal can establish a path toward broader political progress. The world will be watching to see if this “pivotal moment” can translate into a sustained international effort to ensure a genuine peace process and prevent this tragedy from repeating. / REPORTS FROM XINHUA