Hamas officials say they have received assurances from the United States and international mediators that the war in Gaza “has ended permanently” under the terms of a proposed ceasefire. Khalil al-Hayya, who leads the group’s negotiating team, told Al Jazeera that the first phase of the deal would involve a prisoner exchange and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of the enclave, according to Al Jazeera News.
The agreement, however, remains uncertain. Israel’s government has yet to vote on the terms, and key details—including which Palestinian prisoners would be freed in the initial stage—are still being debated. A Hamas source described the question of prisoner releases as one of the most contentious sticking points.
Despite the ambiguity, U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that the war is effectively over. “We have ended the war,” Trump said, adding that he plans to travel to the Middle East soon for what he called an “official signing” of the agreement.
On the ground, though, fighting has not stopped. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that at least 10 Palestinians were killed and 49 others wounded in Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours. A spokesman for Gaza City’s municipality said bluntly, “The reality on the ground has not changed.”
Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, at least 67,194 Palestinians have been killed and 169,890 wounded, according to health authorities in the enclave. Thousands more remain missing, believed to be trapped under the rubble of destroyed homes and buildings. On the Israeli side, 1,139 people were killed during Hamas’s October 7 attacks, with about 200 taken captive.
While mediators describe the ceasefire framework as a potential turning point, questions persist about whether the deal can be implemented—or whether it will collapse under political opposition in Israel and continued mistrust between the warring sides.
