Overview
- Hamas released the last 20 surviving hostages after 738 days and Israel freed about 1,996 Palestinian detainees under the agreement.
- President Trump said Hamas may serve temporarily as a Palestinian police force, a stopgap that leaves disarmament and command arrangements unresolved.
- Plans for an International Stabilisation Force are still undefined; the United States opened a command center at Israel’s Hatzor base with about 200 personnel who will not enter Gaza, and mediators say thousands of regional troops will be required.
- Egypt announced a Cairo conference in November to drive rapid recovery and reconstruction, with parallel technical talks under way on financing and project planning.
- Key governance questions remain, including the composition of a transitional board and whether figures such as Tony Blair will be accepted; Italy signaled readiness to expand a Carabinieri role and to send cease-fire monitors subject to a UN mandate and parliamentary approval.