Printer-friendly version
This is first phase of Trump’s ceasefire plan, but it’s uncertain if plan to end the war will be accepted
By G. A. McNeeley
Photo: rubble in Gaza; public domain image via Wikipedia
October 12, 2025 (San Diego) – After days of negotiations, President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of his peace deal for Gaza. The Israeli military says a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory took effect on Friday, October 10, and that it has begun to withdraw from parts of the Strip, according to The BBC.
The first phase of Trump's deal is expected to see the release of all 20 living Israeli hostages - and the start of the release of the deceased hostages - in exchange for about 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detainees from Gaza.
Trump expressed confidence that the ceasefire would hold, telling reporters at The White House that “they’re all tired of the fighting,” according to Reuters. He added that he believed there was a "consensus" on the next steps of his plan, but acknowledged some details would still need to be worked out.
Israelis and Palestinians alike rejoiced after the deal was announced, to end two years of war in which over 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, and to return the hostages seized by Hamas in the deadly attack that provoked it.
What has been happening during the ceasefire?
The start of the ceasefire means a 72-hour countdown began, and Hamas must release all 20 hostages who are believed to be alive during that timeframe. They must be handed over by Monday, October 13, according to The BBC.
The exact details of their release remains unclear, but the International Committee of the Red Cross said it's ready to help return them. During previous handovers, they collected the hostages from Hamas and transferred them to Israel. From there, they’re airlifted to Israeli hospitals for check-ups and reunited with their families.
Palestinian health authorities said medical teams were able to recover 100 bodies from areas across the Gaza Strip after the army pulled back. Additionally, hundreds of trucks per day are expected to surge into Gaza carrying food and medical aid, according to Reuters.
A copy of the agreement published by Israeli media says all of the remaining deceased hostages should also be released during the 72-hour window, but it appears to acknowledge that Hamas and other Palestinian factions might not be able to locate all of them within that timeframe. It is thought that at least 26 hostages are deceased, with the fate of two others unknown, according to The BBC.
During this process, we expect to see the release of about 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli jails and 1,700 detainees from Gaza. It’s unclear whether or not a delay in the release of the deceased hostages beyond 12:00 on Monday, October 13, could also delay the release of the Palestinian prisoners.
In a televised address, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces were staying in Gaza to ensure Hamas was disarmed. He said “if this is achieved the easy way, then that will be good, and if not, then it will be achieved the hard way,” according to Reuters.
Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin urged residents of Gaza to avoid entering areas under Israeli military control. He said on Friday, October 10, to “keep to the agreement and ensure your safety," according to Reuters.
A multinational force of about 200 troops overseen by the U.S. military will monitor the ceasefire, according to a senior U.S. official. The force is likely to include troops from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The official said their role would be to oversee the ceasefire and "make sure there are no violations or incursions,” and a second senior U.S. official said no U.S. forces would be on the ground in Gaza, according to The BBC.
As part of the ceasefire, the Israeli military said it has "begun positioning" its troops along the line detailed in the agreement, which, according to a spokesperson for the prime minister's office, leaves it in control of 53% of Gaza.
Even as Gazans are heading home, questions loom about whether or not the ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas would lead to a lasting peace under Trump's 20-point plan to end the war, according to Reuters.
Hamas issued a statement on Friday, October 10, rejecting what it described as "foreign guardianship," adding that governance of Gaza was purely an internal Palestinian matter, according to Reuters.
What is Trump’s plan to end the Israel-Hamas war?
The White House released Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and Netanyahu said he supported the plan following a meeting with Trump at The White House, but it’s unclear if Hamas will accept these terms, according to PBS News. You can also read Trump’s full proposal, verbatim, within that same article from PBS.
If completed, the first phase of Trump's 20-point plan would be followed by negotiations over the details of the later phases, but many of these points might be hard to reach an agreement on, according to The BBC.
The proposal says that if it’s agreed by both sides, the war would "immediately end,” and that Gaza would also be demilitarised and all "military, terror and offensive infrastructure" would be destroyed.
It also says Gaza would be governed by a temporary transitional committee of Palestinian technocrats, who would be supervised by a "Board of Peace," headed and chaired by Trump. It would also involve former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Governance would eventually be handed over to the Palestinian Authority, once it’s undergone reforms, according to The BBC.
The proposal says Hamas would have no future role in its governance, and that Hamas members would be offered amnesty if they committed to peaceful co-existence, or they would be provided safe passage to another country.
It also says no Palestinians would be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave would be free to return. Additionally, a “Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energise Gaza" would be created by a panel of experts, according to The BBC.
What are local and national reactions to the ceasefire?
Heidi Gantwerk, President and CEO of The Jewish Federation of San Diego, says that “seeing those living hostages come home on Saturday, if that happens, that will be huge. And that has been the thing that we are thinking about, and praying for every day,” according to NBC 7.
Samar Ismail, Council of Islamic Relations Member, says that accountability “is one of the most important things that we need to see,” according to NBC 7. “We have to ensure that there is no more destruction happening, either in The West Bank or in Gaza.”
Abdullah Tahiri, Vice Chairman of The Muslim Leadership Council of San Diego, says “it’s crucial that we have an independent Palestinian state, a sovereign nation with independent rights, and the right of self-determination,” according to NBC 7.
Rabbi Jason Nevarez, from San Diego’s Congregation Beth Israel, said that “across Israel today, families are waiting with anxious joy, counting the hours until they can hold their loved ones again,” according to San Diego Jewish World. “And in Gaza, people wake to the same sun, praying that this day will not bring new loss. The sky is wide enough to hold both – the relief and the grief, the pain and the hope.”
Ted Deutch, CEO of The American Jewish Committee, said that “after two agonizing years, the thought that the hostages could be home in the coming days is almost impossible to grasp,” according to San Diego Jewish World. “We, along with everyone who has advocated for the hostages’ release, are counting down to the moment when we can finally say ‘they are home.’”
Sandra Hagee Parker, Action Fund Chairwoman for Christians United for Israel, said that “for two years, we have wept for those who mourn, and we will always do so for those we have lost,” according to San Diego Jewish World. “So too do we rejoice for the twenty families welcoming their loved ones home. As we witness the scenes of elation and anguish, we are reminded that Never Again is a promise and a responsibility – one we will never abandon.”
Carol Ann Schwartz, National President of Hadassah, said that “Hadassah welcomes the announcement that Hamas – the terrorist group which savagely attacked Israel in a murderous rampage and took 251 men, women and children hostage – has agreed to the first phase of a plan to end the war and to free all the remaining hostages who they tortured and starved for an agonizing two years,” according to San Diego Jewish World.
Jaimie Krass, President and CEO of Keshet, said that “the road ahead — for the hostages’ recovery, for the rebuilding of Gaza and the return of children’s laughter, for the mourning still ahead for loved ones who are not yet buried, for the repair of so much communal rupture, for the pursuit of an affirming and just world — is a long one, and it will require us to anchor ourselves in hope,” according to San Diego Jewish World.
Roz Rothstein, Chief Executive Officer of Stand With Us, said that “Israelis and people around the world are anxious, yet cautiously optimistic and clinging to the hope that everything goes as planned and as promised in this historic moment,” according to San Diego Jewish World. “We continue to pray for the safe return of every hostage, and for the healing of hearts shattered by unimaginable pain, grief, and loss during these agonizing two years.”
The Republican Jewish Coalition said that they are “profoundly grateful to President Donald J. Trump for his righteous leadership, courage, and unwavering determination to secure the release of every hostage held in Gaza and end the war that Hamas started on October 7th,” according to San Diego Jewish World. “We also applaud the incredible efforts of President Trump’s team, particularly Vice President Vance, Secretary Rubio, Ambassador Witkoff, and Jared Kushner.”
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgqx7ygq41o
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/read-trumps-20-point-proposal-to-end-the-war-in-gaza
Recent comments