Countdown to ceasefire: Israel to begin first phase of Trump's Gaza plan

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

With Israel's security cabinet and government approving the long-awaited prisoner exchange deal reached after midnight Thursday in Sharm el-Sheikh, the countdown has begun for the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza.

The agreement stipulates that the Israeli army will withdraw from the Gaza Strip to the agreed lines within 24 hours and release 20 Israeli hostages alive. 

This comes ahead of President Trump's arrival in the country on Sunday, where he is set to attend a Knesset session—carrying what he hopes will be a symbolic image of victory.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought to frame the deal as a personal political success. 

The agreement excludes Hamas' elite detainees, contrary to Israeli expectations that the movement would prioritize them, and does not include prominent Palestinian prisoners such as Marwan Barghouti.

Under the terms of the deal, Israel will regain 20 living hostages while maintaining military control over 53% of the Gaza Strip. 

However, there are no binding guarantees of a full cessation of hostilities before the deployment of international and Arab forces to take over governance from Hamas.

Meanwhile, coalition parties, already preparing for early elections, have accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war for two years to keep his government in power. They also claim that the formation of an international committee to locate the remains of missing soldiers is Netanyahu's responsibility.

As Israel experiences a mix of celebration and political infighting, Palestinians—who have endured devastating losses, with nearly a quarter of a million killed, injured, or missing—wait anxiously yet cautiously for the promised ceasefire. 

Many hope it will finally restore a semblance of life after years of destruction, provided Israel abides by its pledge to end a war that some of its own military and security officials still appear eager to continue.