CAIRO – 9 October 2025: As the first light of calm dawned on the horizon, scenes of celebration spread across both Gaza and Tel Aviv, a rare moment of shared relief after two years of relentless Israeli war.
The joy comes Israel and Hamas have confirmed their agreement to a long-awaited ceasefire and prisoner exchange, marking the first phase of Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war that has killed over 67,000 people since October 2023.
For Gazans, the agreement marked a long-awaited pause from bombardment and widespread famine. For Israelis, it marked a step closer to reuniting with loved ones held captive.
In Gaza, where most of the enclave’s more than two million residents had been displaced by Israeli airstrikes, young men cheered in the streets of shattered neighborhoods, even as sporadic shelling continued in some areas.
Tears of relief flowed as people embraced, raised their hands in prayer, and chanted in gratitude, hoping this truce would finally allow them to return home and rebuild their lives.
One young man clapped and laughed as his friends lifted him onto their shoulders. Others wept and recited prayers of thanks, while some voiced hopes that Israeli forces still stationed in parts of the territory would soon withdraw completely.
Children chanted Takbeers [means Allah is the Greatest] outside Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah of Gaza, celebrating ceasefire agreement
In Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, families of those abducted in Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack gathered together, many in tears, some holding photos of their loved ones, united by a cautious sense of relief and anticipation.
Sharm El Sheikh Crucial Talks
The progress toward a ceasefire deal came after intensive indirect talks between delegations from Hamas and Israel in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh in the presence of US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Head of the General Intelligence Services Major General Hassan Rashad and his Turkish counterpart, Ibrahim Kalin, also participated, alongside Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s top aide, Ron Dermer, reportedly headed the Israeli delegation.
Hamas and Israel were expected to sign the deal at 12 PM, a source briefed on the details of the agreement told Reuters on Thursday.
The ceasefire in Gaza would take effect once the agreement is signed, the source added.
Trump said on Wednesday that he may travel to Egypt this weekend as part of a regional tour.
His remarks came shortly after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi publicly invited him to attend the signing ceremony of a potential agreement to end the war in Gaza, should negotiations succeed.
In a Telegram post, Hamas stated that the agreement would lead to “ending the war in Gaza, the withdrawal of the [Israeli] occupation from it, the entry of aid, and the exchange of prisoners.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the agreement as "a great day for Israel," noting that his government will meet on Thursday to approve the deal.
Hamas currently holds 48 captives in Gaza, up to 20 of whom are believed to be still alive, according to Israeli estimates.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Al Jazeera on Thursday that the prisoner exchange would take place within a few hours to a day after Israel announces the ceasefire and withdraws its forces to the agreed-upon lines.
Qassem added that the exchange could be conducted within 72 hours, covering both the living captives and the deceased, provided that field conditions permit and the necessary logistical equipment are available.
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