The ceasefire in the Gaza Strip based on U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan has been in force since October 10, 2025, but its durability remains uncertain. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the IDF continues striking on several fronts and will not allow Hezbollah or Hamas to rebuild their capabilities. Hamas, for its part, accuses Israel of violating the truce, but after talks in Cairo with Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashid, it said it remained committed to the first phase of the agreement.
So far, 20 living hostages held in Gaza for more than two years have returned to Israel. The bodies of 25 people, including Israelis and foreign nationals from Nepal and Thailand, have also been returned. The remains of three others are still believed to be in the enclave, and the search continues. This means the core of the first phase, centered on exchanging hostages for Palestinian prisoners, has largely been carried out, though with significant delays from the original timetable.
The next phase is meant to include demilitarization, deradicalization, and postwar reconstruction in Gaza. The plan calls for a temporary nonpartisan committee of local technocrats and international experts, alongside an international transitional body, the “Peace Council,” to be headed by Trump. It would be supported by International Stabilization Forces tasked with security together with Israel, Egypt, and restructured Palestinian police units. However, the method for forming these bodies and the exact scope of their powers remain unclear.
The mandate for the Peace Council and the stabilization forces was set out in UN Security Council Resolution 2803, adopted on November 17. Thirteen members voted in favor, while Russia and China abstained. Moscow and Beijing argued that the new bodies’ powers were vague, that the role of the Palestinian National Authority was insufficiently defined, and that Israel’s obligations as an occupying power were not clearly stated. Even so, they chose not to block the resolution in order to avoid derailing the ceasefire.
Hamas, although formally excluded from any future governing role in Gaza, is trying to preserve both its military and political presence. At the same time, the PA is pursuing reforms in an effort to gain the confidence of Washington and other international partners. Inside Israel, debate continues over whether preserving the ceasefire at any cost is worth it for the sake of possible normalization with Saudi Arabia, or whether the country should prepare for another round of war. Analysts say the truce remains extremely fragile, and the situation could deteriorate sharply both in Gaza and in the West Bank.