Gaza ceasefire terms unveiled after secret negotiations

A comprehensive ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip reportedly provides for a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from 70 per cent of the enclave, coupled with a phased exchange of hostages and prisoners.

According to Sky News Arabia, which cited an Egyptian source close to the negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh, the deal envisages that Israel will begin a step-by-step pullback from much of Gaza while releasing Palestinian prisoners in parallel with the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

As reported by Ynet, once Israel withdraws to the agreed demarcation lines, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) will retain control over 53 per cent of the Gaza Strip — approximately 4 per cent less than the territory delineated in the “yellow line” of former US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. This line represents the first stage of the withdrawal process, which is expected to follow the initial exchange of hostages.

The Jerusalem Post earlier noted that by late September, the Israeli army had established operational control over more than half of Gaza City, from which more than 800,000 of the roughly one million residents had already been evacuated.

The Egyptian source further told Sky News Arabia that the first phase of the deal envisions the release of all living Israeli hostages in exchange for the liberation of more than 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The 

US President Donald Trump revealed that the exchange could take place on October 13, according to preliminary arrangements between the parties, emphasising that freeing the hostages remained the immediate priority.

“Right now, everything possible is being done to free the hostages,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News.

He also disclosed what he described as the next phase of the post-ceasefire process. “I think you’re going to see Gaza being rebuilt. We’re forming a council — we think it’s going to be called the Peace Council,” Trump said, adding that he expects the new body to be “very influential,” though he did not elaborate on its structure or composition.

By Tamilla Hasanova