On the evening of Thursday October 9, 2025, the Israeli government accepted terms to an agreement to end their war against Hamas after two years. The agreement officially went into effect on October 10th, and Israel withdrew its offensive forces back to established lines and opened up the Gaza Strip to humanitarian aid.
Other terms of the deal include the largest hostage swap since the beginning of hostilities in 2023. Both sides agreed to set all hostages free and allow them to return home. These exchanges began on Monday October 13, as Hamas returned the 20 living Israeli hostages it was still holding and the Israeli government released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to return home. Over the course of the following days, remains of diseased prisoners and hostages continued to be exchanged as a part of the deal.
Immediately after the deal was announced, large celebrations took place in both Gaza and Israel, as people rejoiced about the end of the war. Families of hostages celebrated the reunion with their relatives, and the entire region was united in being happy for the war’s end.
This initial agreement is seen as the first phase of a larger, multi-stage plan; it will not be the final deal between the two parties. While it does represent an immediate end to the war, it leaves various notable questions open for interpretation. Israel has still not fully withdrawn from Gaza, and there is still much to be done to recover from the damage of the war. Since its signing, there have been a few reported instances of small continued clashes between the two groups, potentially serving as a sign that true peace has not yet been reached. Future phases of the plan will seek to make long term peace in the region more of a possibility, and stabilize relations between the Israeli and Palestinian people.
This deal was brokered by US president Donald Trump, and it will likely be remembered as the most impactful foreign policy achievement of his time in office. He visited Israel for a short few hours on October 13th to meet with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the families of the to-be-released hostages. His visit was shortened by many other events happening in short succession, namely a conference with over 20 other world leaders in Egypt occurring on the same day, where the official peace agreement was signed.
