Israel and Hamas Sign Ceasefire Agreement

On October 9, Israel and Hamas signed an agreement to establish a ceasefire and to exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. This is the first phase of US President Donald Trump's initiative to end the war in Gaza. The deal, brokered through indirect negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, is the biggest step to halt the two-year-long war. According to the agreement, hostilities will cease, Israel will partially withdraw its forces from Gaza, and Hamas will release all remaining hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel.

It is also planned that convoys of trucks loaded with food and medical aid will be able to enter Gaza to provide assistance to hundreds of thousands of civilians.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the ceasefire will take effect after the government ratifies the agreement. An Israeli government spokesperson confirmed that the ceasefire will take effect within 24 hours of the government meeting, after which the hostages will be released within 72 hours.

However, many challenges still remain. According to a Palestinian source, the list of prisoners to be released is not yet finalized. In addition, further steps of Trump's 20-point plan, including issues of Gaza's future governance and the disarmament of Hamas, have yet to be discussed. Far-right members of Netanyahu's coalition, such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, insist that Hamas must be destroyed after the return of the hostages.

The agreement has received broad support from Arab and Western countries and is seen as a major diplomatic achievement for President Trump. It is expected that Trump may visit Israel on Sunday during the return of the hostages.