As U.S. officials and leaders in the Middle East welcome the proposed ceasefire deal in Gaza between the Israeli government and Hamas, there are still many questions about the timeline and challenges to ending the fighting and returning remaining hostages before an agreement is reached to completely end the war.
These include details of the deal timeline, and challenges to end the fighting and return the hostages.
The first phase of the deal, which is scheduled to be approved by the Israeli government on Thursday, will see the return of all remaining Gaza hostages, the release of several Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons and the partial withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces inside the Gaza Strip.
Humanitarian aid is expected to quickly reach Gaza once land crossings reopen.
A senior Israeli official told ABC News on Thursday that the 72-hour deadline for Hamas to release all hostages will begin after the Israeli government ratifies the deal.
A military vehicle maneuvers on the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border in Israel on October 3, 2025.
Amir Cohen/Reuters
He 20 hostages Those believed to still be alive are expected to be released all in one group on Sunday or Monday, the official said. President Donald Trump, speaking at a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday, said the release of the hostages could be as early as Monday or Tuesday.
Negotiators will then move on to the next phase of Trump’s strategy. 20-point peace plan, which was unveiled at the end of September.
Sources familiar with the negotiations told ABC News that agreements still need to be reached on some of the most difficult points of the plan.
These include the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, the relinquishment of control of Gaza by Hamas, the disarmament and dismantling of the militant group’s weapons, and the transfer of the Gaza government to an international trusteeship overseen by the United States and its Arab allies.
The challenges in implementing these terms are immense, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations.
Palestinians walk past a destroyed building as they inspect the damage following the Israeli operation in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, October 8, 2025.
Ebrahim hajjja/Reuters
European and Arab allies plan to meet in Paris on Thursday for a “day after” meeting in Gaza.
The meeting will focus on three main areas: security, governance and reconstruction. Talks on Palestinian statehood will also be discussed, according to a French diplomatic source. saying.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio I was initially considering participating in the Paris meeting, but told reporters on Capitol Hill on Wednesday that he is not expected to attend the meeting due to the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East. Rubio made the statement before it was announced that the first phase of a ceasefire agreement had been reached.
An administration official told ABC News that if President Trump travels to the Middle East this weekend, Rubio will travel with him.
ABC News’ Iván Pereira contributed to this report.
