Middle East

Yes of the Israeli government to the agreement. Ceasefire in Gaza begins

The agreement provides for the release of 20 live hostages and 1,950 Palestinian prisoners, but there will be no Barghouti. Trump: hostages free on Tuesday

by Roberto Bongiorni

10 October 2025

Tel Aviv, la gente festeggia Trump per l’’accordo di pace firmato tra Hamas e Israele nella Hostages Square (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP)

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The longest war ever fought by Israel could end exactly two years, or a little more, after its beginning. The conditional, however, is a must. The agreement with which it was reached still leaves many question marks.

Ieri mattina è stata firmata dalla delegazione israeliana e da quella di Hamas, accorse a Sharm el-Sheikh in Egitto, la fase uno del piano di pace annunciato la sera prima dal presidente americano Donald Trump. In serata la riunione del Gabinetto di sicurezza israeliano, il primo passaggio, è durata molto più del previsto. I ministri oltranzisti del Governo del premier Benjamin Netanyahu, Itamar Ben Gvir e Bezalel Smotrich, hanno preteso che nel piano di cessate il fuoco fosse previsto anche il pieno smantellamento di Hamas. Ben Gvir ha posto dei veti sul rilascio di alcuni prigionieri palestinesi ed ha minacciato di far cadere il Governo se le sue richieste cadranno nel vuoto. Alle 22, la successiva riunione dell’Esecutivo, a cui hanno partecipato i due inviati d Trump, Steve Witkoff,e il genero Jared Kushner, è fintia in tarda notte con l’approvazione ufficiale del piano. Da quel momento è scattato l’accordo di cessate il fuoco.

The total ceasefire envisaged in the agreement is not yet in place. Despite government ratification, Israeli air raids have been reported, including on Khan Younis. War helicopters have been deployed in Gaza City.

After the approval of the Executive, the Israeli Armed Forces (IDF) will begin the withdrawal, positioning themselves outside the main urban centres. The army will however remain in control of 53% of the Strip. Once the partial withdrawal is completed in 24 hours, Hamas will have 72 hours to hand over all the hostages still alive - estimated at around 20 - also committing itself to search for and, if possible, return the bodies of those who died in captivity (there should be 28).

According to the latest reports, the truce will be monitored by a joint task force of 200 US soldiers and other armed forces provided by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and possibly the United Arab Emirates, a senior White House official said. The US Central command will establish a 'civil-military coordination centre' in Israel that will help facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid, as well as logistical and security assistance to Gaza.

Despite the enthusiastic proclamations of many leaders and heads of state from all over the world, what was announced yesterday so far resembles a half-hearted agreement, a sort of repeat of the first phase of the understanding signed in January but unilaterally interrupted by Israel on 18 March with the resumption of hostilities. At that time, the release of hostages and the exchange of prisoners were completed, but the second phase - the one that was supposed to outline the future of the Strip and then materialise in the third - never got off the ground.

"We have no intention of renewing the war and I believe this should lead to the end of the conflict," Israeli Foreign Minister Saar assured Fox News.

History, even recent history, teaches that multi-phased ceasefires, conceived as 'permanent', have not been successful in this conflict. Often the first phase was not followed by subsequent ones, where the most difficult issues were postponed.

Trump ha assicurato che gli ostaggi saranno liberati entro martedì. Sono loro il punto più sensibile dell’accordo. Per ottenerne il rilascio, centinaia di migliaia di israeliani da mesi scendono in piazza, scioperano e bloccano strade e autostrade. Restano però molti nodi che, se non sciolti, rischiano di far naufragare quella pace “permanente” con cui Trump vorrebbe passare alla storia come il primo capo di Stato ad aver messo fine al conflitto più incancrenito dell’ultimo secolo, aspirando al Nobel per la Pace. A fronte di condizioni dettagliate, le parti non hanno ancora trovato intese concrete. Se il disarmo di Hamas resta uno dei punti più difficili (Qatar e Turchia dovrebbero seguirne il processo), l’intera gestione del “dopo Hamas” suscita ancora più perplessità: dall’esilio della leadership del movimento islamico, che vorrebbe ancora esercitare un ruolo nella vita politica di Gaza, al ritiro completo dell’esercito israliano, fino al delicato processo di deradicalizzazione dell

Two issues remain central: the release of the Palestinian prisoners held in Israel - 1,700 arrested after 7 October and 250 lifers - and the formation of a transitional government of Palestinian technocrats under the supervision of an international body chaired by Donald Trump, with the cooperation of Arab and European countries. According to American intentions, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will have a prominent role on the board.

Israel, however, reiterated that it would not release Marwan Barghouti, the most popular Palestinian leader, in prison since 2002 and sentenced to five life sentences plus 40 years. The authorities also ruled out the release of Hamas militiamen involved in the 7 October massacre. Instead, the bodies of 360 Hamas militiamen will be returned, but not those of the brothers Yahya and Mohammed Sinwar, the former Hamas leader in Gaza and his brother, his successor. Prisoners convicted of murder or terrorism will be transferred to Gaza or abroad, with a ban on entry into Israel and the West Bank.

Hamas had warned against accepting Tony Blair's involvement in Gaza management, while Israel yesterday reiterated its no to the release of Barghouti. Beyond the release of the hostages, too many questions remain unanswered. If he wants to go down in history as the president who succeeded where all his predecessors failed, claiming credit for restoring stability to the entire Middle East, Trump may have been too hasty.