Israel Relief in the Middle East after agreement reached in Gaza talks
The agreement between Israel and Hamas on key points in the negotiations to end the Gaza war has been met with great relief in the region.
09.10.2025, 15:12
SDA
The agreement provides for the release of hostages abducted in the Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of Israeli troops to an agreed line. However, according to reports, Israel's government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still has to officially approve the agreement.
According to a report in the Times of Israel, the security cabinet will meet in the late afternoon (local time), followed by the entire government. Netanyahu's far-right coalition partner Bezalel Smotrich announced in an X post that he and his party would not approve the deal. Nevertheless, a clear majority in favor of the agreement is expected. Once it is approved, the agreed ceasefire will also come into force.
Breakthrough after a few days of talks
Just a few days after the start of indirect negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the USA in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, US President Donald Trump announced a breakthrough in the talks on Thursday night. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Hamas confirmed the agreement on the first phase of a peace plan presented by Trump, which is intended to pave the way for an end to the war.
The Gaza war was triggered by the terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas and other Islamist terrorist groups on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage in the Gaza Strip. Israel responded with heavy attacks. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in the embattled coastal strip since then.
Joy in Israel and the Gaza Strip - but also concern
The agreement was met with great joy in Israel. Numerous people gathered in the "Square of the Hostages" in the center of Tel Aviv. They cheered, sang, danced and clapped. Some waved Israeli and US flags. "All of them - now!" they also shouted. For many, the relief is also accompanied by caution. "We are also still tense and hope that everything goes as planned," said one Israeli.
In the Gaza Strip, the news of a breakthrough provoked great emotion. "My first reaction was to cry uncontrollably," said a Palestinian. He now felt joy, but also sadness - above all because of the relatives he had lost in the two-year war.
What was agreed?
It is now known that the hostages taken to the Gaza Strip are to be released first. In return, Israel is to withdraw its troops to an agreed line. There are still 48 hostages in the Gaza Strip, 20 of whom are still alive according to Israeli information. In return, Israel is to release around 250 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment and around 1,700 people imprisoned after October 7, 2023.
The USA had emphasized that the hostages had absolute priority. In a second phase of negotiations, conditions are to be created that will secure peace in the long term. According to Trump's plan, Israel's complete withdrawal from Gaza is only envisaged at a later date when an international stabilization force (ISF) provides security on the ground. The disarmament of Hamas will also be discussed at a later date.
What is unclear?
It is not yet completely clear when exactly the hostages will be released in the coming days - and whether it will really be all at once and the mortal remains of the hostages who were kidnapped dead or did not survive will also be handed over to Israel. It is also unclear which Palestinian prisoners Israel will release for the hostages. This was also a point of contention in the negotiations.
However, it is assumed that the hostages could be released on Saturday, Sunday or Monday. The peace plan provides for a deadline of 72 hours after the agreement comes into force - so it also depends on when it is signed. There is still no official information on the signing.
The Islamist organization already agreed last week that the Gaza Strip would initially be governed by a transitional government of Palestinian technocrats under the supervision of an international body after the end of the war. However, it is unclear whether it has also agreed to the demand of Trump's peace plan that it should not play a role in this. However, this issue is also likely to arise in subsequent negotiations.
Optimistic reactions from Europe
The news of the agreement also caused optimism outside of Israel. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, for example, was confident - but at the same time warned against a premature assessment. "So the hopes, also as far as Israel and the Gaza Strip are concerned, have increased again here last night, but it's not really over yet," Merz told journalists in Berlin. "We are encouraged by the developments in Israel."
Following the breakthrough in the negotiations, top EU representatives announced their support. The EU will continue to support the rapid and safe delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, announced EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. And when the time is right, the EU will also be ready to support reconstruction.
Von der Leyen called on the parties to the conflict to fully comply with the agreement reached. "Today's opportunity must be seized," she wrote on social networks. It is an opportunity to embark on a credible political path towards lasting peace and security with a two-state solution.
Arab countries welcome agreement
Arab countries expressed their hope for stability. Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi spoke of a "historic moment". The agreement not only closes the chapter of war. "It also opens the door of hope for the peoples of the region - for a future characterized by justice and stability," said al-Sisi in a post on X.
Saudi Arabia also welcomed the agreement and praised the efforts of Trump and the other mediators, as the foreign ministry explained. The influential Gulf state hopes that the people in the Gaza Strip will now receive help quickly. Israel must withdraw completely so that security and stability can be restored.
