Map of Gaza shows how Israeli forces will withdraw under ceasefire deal

EXPLAINER

In the archetypal signifier of the ceasefire plan, Israel volition stay successful power of astir 60 percent of the Gaza Strip.

In the aboriginal hours of Wednesday greeting successful Gaza, United States President Donald Trump announced that Hamas and Israel had agreed connected the archetypal phase of his ceasefire and captive-exchange plan.

In a station connected his Truth Social platform, Trump stated : “ALL the hostages volition beryllium released precise soon, and Israel volition retreat their troops to an agreed upon line.”

The “agreed upon line” refers to a vague representation shared by Trump connected October 4, showing an archetypal Israeli withdrawal portion marked successful yellow, aboriginal dubbed the “yellow line” by Trump officials.

After negotiations, Israel has agreed to the archetypal withdrawal line, which we person shown to, and shared with, Hamas. When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire volition beryllium IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange volition begin, and we volition make the conditions for the next… pic.twitter.com/0VfaMSOqQ1

— Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) October 4, 2025

By Sunday oregon Monday, Hamas is expected to merchandise astir 20 surviving captives, on with the bodies of astir 25 others, portion Israel volition escaped immoderate 2,000 Palestinians detained successful Israeli prisons. Final details person yet to beryllium confirmed.

Where is the archetypal withdrawal ‘yellow line’?

Israel presently controls much than 80 percent of Gaza’s 365sq km (141sq miles) area, including areas nether forced evacuation orders oregon designated by Israel arsenic subject zones.

Once the woody is signed, warring would beryllium expected to extremity immediately, and Israeli forces would retreat to the enactment marked successful yellow.

The last representation has not yet been published pursuing negotiations successful Egypt, but based connected the October 4 map, the country wrong the yellowish enactment represents astir 155sq km (60sq miles), leaving astir 210sq km (81sq miles), oregon 58 percent of Gaza, nether Israeli control, arsenic verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad team.

Most notably, Israeli forces volition stay successful respective antecedently populous Palestinian neighbourhoods, including:

• Beit Lahiya
• Beit Hanoon
• Parts of Gaza City’s Shujayea, Tuffah and Zeitoun
• More than fractional of the Khan Younis governorate
• Nearly each of the Rafah governorate

In addition, Israel volition proceed to power each crossings successful and retired of Gaza, including the Rafah crossing with Egypt.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians person been displaced aggregate times passim 2 years of warfare and are hopeless to instrumentality to their homes, but the continued Israeli beingness successful these areas makes that improbable successful the adjacent term.

(Al Jazeera)

What is expected to hap next?

According to the 20-point program announced by Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu connected September 29 – developed without immoderate Palestinian input – Israel is to retreat its forces successful 3 phases, arsenic shown connected an accompanying crude map, with each signifier marked successful a antithetic colour:

(Al Jazeera)

• Initial withdrawal (yellow line): In the archetypal phase, Hamas is expected to merchandise each remaining Israeli captives, some surviving and deceased, portion Israeli forces propulsion backmost to the enactment designated successful yellowish connected the map.
• Second withdrawal (red line): During the 2nd phase, an International Stabilization Force (ISF) volition beryllium mobilised to oversee information and enactment Palestinian policing, portion Israeli forces retreat further to the enactment marked successful red, reducing their nonstop beingness successful Gaza.
• Third withdrawal (security buffer zone): In the last phase, Israeli forces are to propulsion backmost to a designated “security buffer zone”, leaving a constricted information of Gaza nether Israeli subject control, portion an planetary administrative assemblage supervises governance and a transitional period.

Even aft the 3rd withdrawal phase, Palestinians volition beryllium confined to an country which is smaller than earlier the war, continuing a signifier of Israel’s power implicit Gaza and its people.

Many questions stay astir however the program volition beryllium implemented, the nonstop boundaries of Palestinian territory, the timing and scope of Israeli withdrawals, the relation of the International Stabilization Force, and the semipermanent implications for Palestinians crossed some Gaza and the occupied West Bank.