Israel and Hamas agree to pause in war in Gaza with release of prisoners, hostages

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a pause in the two-year-long war in Gaza and have made promises to exchange prisoners and hostages.

Hamas says it will release 20 remaining living Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza.

Uncertainty in the peace talks advanced by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump remain, however.

The plan envisions Israel withdrawing all of its troops and an international security force taking over. Israel has demanded that Hamas disarm, a condition the militants have yet to accept.

Whether and how Hamas will disarm and who will govern the Palestinian territory remains unclear.

October 7 marked two years to the day of Hamas’ surprise, deadly attack at a music festival in Israel that triggered the war.

Israel retaliated on the same day and began ground operations in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 12, 2023. A full-scale invasion was launched on Oct. 27.

The fighting has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and reduced much of Gaza to rubble, with many international countries and organizations calling Israel’s actions a genocide.

With files from The Canadian Press