Overview
- The first step ties a pause in fighting, expanded aid access, a partial Israeli withdrawal and a staged exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
- Israel will convene to approve implementation and prisoner lists, with the formal signing expected in Egypt today, according to mediators and Israeli media.
- Roughly 48 hostages are still held with about 20 believed alive, and releases are expected within 72 hours of implementation, with estimates ranging from this weekend to Monday.
- The IDF says it has begun preparations for a partial pullback and is set to leave much of Gaza, with Rafah an exception per Israeli reports, while warning the north remains a dangerous combat zone.
- Key disputes persist over which prisoners Israel will free—including a reported rejection of Marwan Barghouti—as well as future Gaza governance and any disarmament steps, even as the U.S., Qatar, Egypt and Turkey drive the process and Trump signals a possible regional visit.