Overview

• Officials from Hamas, Israel, and the United States announced agreement on the first phase of President Trump’s 20‑point framework, with the cease-fire reported to have taken effect early Thursday.
• Releases are to be synchronized: all Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, with initial returns expected within days and Trump saying Monday is likely; the IDF ordered preparations to receive returnees.
• Israeli forces are set to withdraw in stages, with an initial pullback of about 70% of Gaza cited by an Egyptian source, as field verification of positions and timelines begins.
• The package ties expanded humanitarian access to an international transitional mechanism and a temporary stabilization force outlined in the U.S. plan to support security and reconstruction.
• Talks were finalized in Sharm El‑Sheikh with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey mediating alongside U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, while Israeli cabinet approval and reports of limited ongoing strikes pose immediate implementation risks.