Israel and Hamas to exchange hostages and prisoners

Israel and Hamas agreed to a pause in their devastating two-year war and the release of remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners – a move greeted Thursday with joy and relief but also caution.

Uncertainty remains over some aspects of the broader ceasefire plan proposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration – 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, reduced much of Gaza to rubble, caused famine in parts of the territory and left dozens of hostages, alive and dead, in Gaza.

The war, which began with Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has also sparked other conflicts in the region, sparked protests around the world and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.

Some 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led assault and 251 were taken hostage. In the ensuing Israeli offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and nearly 170,000 injured, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says about half of the dead were women and children.

Although the deal is expected to be finalized later today, Israeli strikes have continued, with explosions in northern Gaza on Thursday. At least 11 dead Palestinians and 49 injured arrived at hospitals in the past 24 hours, Gaza’s health ministry said.

An Israeli military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military directives, said Israel continued to strike targets that posed a threat to its troops as they repositioned.

In the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, celebrations were relatively quiet and often tinged with grief.

“I am happy and unhappy. We lost a lot of people and loved ones, friends and family members. We lost our homes,” Mohammad Al-Farra said. “Despite our happiness, we cannot help but think about what awaits us. (…) The areas to which we are returning or intend to return are uninhabitable.”

In Tel Aviv, families of the remaining hostages drank champagne and cried tears of joy after Trump announced a deal Wednesday evening.

On Thursday in Jerusalem, Sharon Canot celebrated with others.

“We’re so excited this morning. We’ve been crying all morning,” she said. “We have been in horror for two years.”

Under the terms, Hamas intends to release all living hostages within a few days, while the Israeli military begins a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of a deal that has not been fully made public. Around twenty of the 48 hostages still in captivity are believed to be alive.

In a short video released by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Trump was seen speaking on the phone to a group of delighted hostage families.

“They are all coming back on Monday,” said Trump, expected in the region in the coming days.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu planned to convene his core security cabinet and then the full cabinet to approve the deal.

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has opposed previous ceasefire agreements, said he had “mixed emotions” and warned that while he welcomed the return of the hostages, he believed an exchange could strengthen Hamas. He called on Israel to continue its efforts to eradicate Hamas and to ensure the demilitarization of Gaza once the hostages are released.

Hamas, meanwhile, called on Trump and mediators to ensure that Israel fully implements troop withdrawals, aid entry into Gaza and prisoner exchanges. Hamas officials said nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners were to be released, including 250 serving long sentences, with the rest being people detained during the Gaza war.

Much speculation has centered on whether Marwan Barghouti – a senior Fatah leader in the Israeli-occupied West Bank during the Intifada, or Palestinian uprising that broke out in 2000 – would be part of it. But Israeli government spokesman Shosh Bedrosian said Thursday that “at this stage, Marwan Barghouti would not participate in this release.”

The coming days could be politically tricky for Netanyahu, who is shadowed by an ongoing corruption trial as he wages war in Gaza.

His hold on power depends largely on the support of far-right coalition partners, who have urged him to continue his operations against Hamas until the group is eliminated.

But Trump suggested Thursday that Netanyahu’s political position had been strengthened by the ceasefire and hostage deal.

“He’s a lot more popular today than he was five days ago,” Trump said. “I can tell you right now, people shouldn’t be running against him. Five days ago, that might not have been a bad idea.”

The agreement submitted to the Israeli government and then expected to be signed in Egypt will include a list of prisoners to be released and maps for the first phase of the Israeli withdrawal to new positions in Gaza, according to two Egyptian officials briefed on the negotiations, a Hamas official and another official.

Israel will publish the list of prisoners and victims of their attacks will have 24 hours to voice their objections.

The withdrawal could begin as early as Thursday evening, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be publicly named discussing the negotiations. The releases of hostages and prisoners are expected to begin Monday, Egyptian and Hamas officials said, although the other official indicated they could take place as early as Sunday evening.

Five border crossings would reopen, including Rafah between Gaza and Egypt, allowing the passage of 400 trucks in the first days and increasing to 600 trucks later, Egyptian and Hamas officials said.

The Trump plan calls for Israel to maintain an unlimited military presence inside Gaza, along its border with Israel. An international force, made up largely of troops from Arab and Muslim countries, would be responsible for security inside Gaza. The United States would lead a massive, internationally funded reconstruction effort.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that Turkey would “hopefully participate in the working group that will monitor the implementation of the agreement on the ground.” Turkey, which has close ties to Hamas, helped negotiate the deal, alongside the United States, Egypt and Qatar.

After withdrawing from the agreed areas of Gaza, the Israeli army will still control 53% of the enclave, Bedrosian said.

The plan also envisions a possible role for the Palestinian Authority – something Netanyahu has long opposed. But that requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to embark on a vast reform program that could take years.

The Trump plan is even vaguer on a future Palestinian state, which Netanyahu strongly rejects.

After the deal was reached, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi met with Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in Cairo on Thursday.

In a statement after the meeting, Sisi said he looked forward to celebrating the signing of the agreement and reiterated his invitation to Trump to visit Egypt to witness it “in a ceremony worthy of the occasion.” Witkoff and Kushner then landed in Israel, according to an official who was not authorized to speak to the media.

This would be the third ceasefire since the start of the war. The previous two also saw exchanges of hostages and prisoners. Israel ended the last ceasefire, which began in January, with a surprise bombing in March.