Israel and Hamas will exchange hostages and prisoners after agreeing to a pause in the war in Gaza

Israel and Hamas person agreed to a intermission successful their devastating two-year warfare and the merchandise of the remaining hostages successful speech for Palestinian prisoners — a breakthrough greeted Thursday with joyousness and alleviation but besides caution.

Uncertainty remains astir aspects of the broader ceasefire program precocious by the medication of U.S. President Donald Trump — specified arsenic whether and however Hamas volition disarm and who volition govern Gaza. But the sides look person than they person been successful months to ending a warfare that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, reduced overmuch of Gaza to rubble, brought famine to parts of the territory and near dozens of hostages, surviving and dead, successful Gaza.

The war, which began with Hamas' deadly onslaught connected Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, has besides triggered different conflicts successful the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.

Some 1,200 radical were killed successful the Hamas-led assault, and 251 were taken hostage. In Israel's ensuing offensive, much than 67,000 Palestinians person been killed successful Gaza and astir 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate betwixt civilians and combatants but says astir fractional of the deaths were women and children.

Even with the statement expected to beryllium finalized aboriginal successful the day, Israeli strikes continued, with explosions seen Thursday successful bluish Gaza. At slightest 11 dormant Palestinians and different 49 who were wounded arrived astatine hospitals implicit the past 24 hours, Gaza's Health Ministry said.

An Israeli subject authoritative who spoke connected the information of anonymity successful enactment with subject guidelines said Israel was continuing to deed targets that posed a menace to its troops arsenic they reposition.

In the confederate Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis, celebrations were comparatively muted and often colored by grief.

"I americium blessed and unhappy. We person mislaid a batch of radical and mislaid loved ones, friends and family. We mislaid our homes," said Mohammad Al-Farra. "Despite our happiness, we cannot assistance but deliberation of what is to come. ... The areas we are going backmost to, oregon intending to instrumentality to, are uninhabitable."

In Tel Aviv, families of the remaining hostages popped champagne and cried tears of joyousness aft Trump announced a woody precocious Wednesday.

In Jerusalem connected Thursday, Sharon Canot celebrated with immoderate others.

"We are truthful excited this morning. We cried each morning," she said. "It's been 2 years that we are successful horror."

Under the terms, Hamas intends to merchandise each surviving hostages successful a substance of days, portion the Israeli subject volition statesman a withdrawal from the bulk of Gaza, radical acquainted with the substance told The Associated Press. They spoke connected information of anonymity to sermon details of an statement that has not afloat been made public. Some 20 of the 48 hostages inactive successful captivity are believed to beryllium alive.

In a abbreviated video posted by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Trump was seen speaking by telephone to a radical of elated hostage families.

"They are each coming backmost connected Monday," said Trump, who is expected successful the portion successful the coming days.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu planned to convene his smaller Security Cabinet and past the afloat Cabinet to o.k. the deal.

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has opposed erstwhile ceasefire deals, said helium had "mixed emotions," and warned that portion helium welcomed the instrumentality of the hostages, helium believed an speech could fortify Hamas. He called for Israel to proceed trying to eradicate Hamas and to guarantee Gaza is demilitarized erstwhile the hostages are released.

Hamas, meanwhile, called connected Trump and the mediators to guarantee that Israel afloat implements the unit withdrawal, the introduction of assistance into Gaza and the speech of prisoners. Hamas officials said astir 2,000 Palestinian prisoners are to beryllium released, including 250 serving agelong sentences, portion the remainder are radical who were detained during the warfare successful Gaza.

Much speculation has focused connected whether Marwan Barghouti — a elder Fatah person successful the Israeli-occupied West Bank during the intifada, oregon Palestinian uprising, that erupted successful 2000 — volition beryllium among them. But Israeli authorities spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said Thursday that "at this constituent Marwan Barghouti volition not beryllium portion of this release."

The days up could beryllium politically tricky for Netanyahu, who has been shadowed by an ongoing corruption proceedings arsenic helium navigated the Gaza war.

His grip connected powerfulness has been mostly contingent connected the enactment of hard-line, far-right conjugation partners who person urged him to proceed operations against Hamas until the radical is eliminated.

But Trump connected Thursday suggested Netanyahu's governmental lasting has been bolstered by the ceasefire and hostage deal.

"He's overmuch much fashionable contiguous than helium was 5 days ago," Trump said. "I tin archer you close now, radical shouldn't tally against him. Five days ago, mightiness not person been a atrocious idea."

The woody being submitted to Israel's authorities and past expected to beryllium signed successful Egypt volition see a database of prisoners to beryllium released and maps for the archetypal signifier of an Israeli withdrawal to caller positions successful Gaza, according to 2 Egyptian officials briefed connected the talks, a Hamas authoritative and different official.

Israel volition people the database of the prisoners, and victims of their attacks volition person 24 hours to lodge objections.

The withdrawal could commencement arsenic soon arsenic Thursday evening, said the officials, who spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that they were not authorized to beryllium publically named speaking astir the negotiations. The hostage and captive releases are expected to statesman Monday, the officials from Egypt and Hamas said, though the different authoritative said they could hap arsenic aboriginal arsenic Sunday night.

Five borderline crossings would reopen, including the Rafah crossing betwixt Gaza and Egypt, allowing 400 trucks successful the archetypal days and expanding to 600 trucks aft that, the Egyptian and Hamas officials said.

The Trump program calls for Israel to support an open-ended subject beingness wrong Gaza, on its borderline with Israel. An planetary force, comprised mostly of troops from Arab and Muslim countries, would beryllium liable for information wrong Gaza. The U.S. would pb a monolithic internationally funded reconstruction effort.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that Turkey volition "hopefully instrumentality portion successful the task unit that volition show the implementation of the statement connected the ground." Turkey, which has adjacent ties to Hamas, helped broker the deal, on with the U.S., Egypt and Qatar.

After withdrawing from agreed-upon areas of Gaza, the Israeli subject volition inactive power 53% of the enclave, Bedrosian said.

The program besides envisions an eventual relation for the Palestinian Authority — thing Netanyahu has agelong opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to acquisition a sweeping betterment programme that could instrumentality years.

The Trump program is adjacent much vague astir a aboriginal Palestinian state, which Netanyahu firmly rejects.

After the woody was agreed to, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi met Thursday with Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, successful Cairo.

In a connection aft the meeting, Sissi said helium is anxious to observe the signing of the statement and reiterated his invitation to Trump to sojourn Egypt to witnesser it "in a ceremonial befitting the occasion." Witkoff and Kushner aboriginal landed successful Israel, according to an authoritative who was not authorized to talk to the media.

This would beryllium the 3rd ceasefire since the commencement of the war. The erstwhile 2 besides saw hostages and prisoners exchanged. Israel ended the astir caller ceasefire, which started successful January, with a astonishment bombardment successful March.