Overview

• The 20 surviving captives seized on October 7, 2023 were handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and transferred to Israel in two batches.
• Israel began freeing about 1,968 Palestinian detainees, including prisoners serving life terms, under the first‑phase deal.
• The United States, Egypt, Turkey and Qatar signed a Sharm el‑Sheikh declaration as guarantors of the truce, without Israel or Hamas at the table.
• Only four of the 28 deceased hostages’ bodies were initially returned, prompting Israeli accusations of a breach and a warning from Defense Minister Israel Katz.
• Core issues for the next round remain unsettled, including Hamas disarmament, Gaza’s governance and the makeup and mandate of any international security force.