Overview

• Israel says all sides signed the initial framework in Egypt under U.S., Qatari, Egyptian and Turkish mediation, with President Trump announcing the agreement.
• Under the first phase, Hamas is to release surviving hostages—about 20 believed alive out of roughly 48 held—in exchange for about 250 prisoners serving life terms and around 1,700 detainees.
• Humanitarian access is slated to ramp up, with at least 400 aid trucks per day planned in the first five days of the ceasefire, and Egypt’s Red Crescent reporting 153 trucks already en route.
• Political and legal hurdles remain, including Israeli cabinet approval, publicized opposition from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and continued reports of localized strikes in Gaza.
• Key issues are unresolved for later phases, such as Hamas disarmament and Gaza’s governance, and Israeli sources warn Hamas may not be able to return all remains of deceased hostages; Israel says Marwan Barghouti will not be part of the swap.