How the Israel-Hamas deal could unfold in the coming days
Israel and Hamas are set for a long-awaited hostage-prisoner swap, but significant obstacles remain to a permanent ceasefire.
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WASHINGTON — After two years of war, Israel and Hamas have agreed to an initial ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Now comes the hard part.
The two sides are moving forward with what President Donald Trump described as “the first phase” of his 20-point peace plan, which stipulates a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a hostage-prisoner exchange.
This step appears to be the most achievable. Two previous ceasefires — one in November 2023 and another in January 2025 — failed to hold beyond a temporary truce, and a number of long-term issues in the Trump plan are unresolved, including Hamas’ disarmament, Israel’s full withdrawal and Gaza’s future governance.
