Atlantic Council
Now comes the even harder part. On Wednesday, negotiators from Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of the remaining hostages taken by the terrorist group during its October 7, 2023 attack.
The deal, mediated by US, Qatari, and Egyptian officials, will take place over three phases, each slated to last six weeks. During the first phase, Hamas will release thirty-three hostages—women, children, and those over fifty years of age—and Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, begin to withdraw from some areas, and facilitate a significant increase in humanitarian aid into Gaza. In the second phase, Hamas is slated to free the remaining male hostages while Israel withdraws from Gaza. The third phase would include the return of deceased hostages and the beginning of reconstruction.
Does this deal, which now heads to the Israeli cabinet for approval, really mark the end of the war? What’s next for Gaza’s reconstruction, Israel’s security, and wider regional efforts such as Israeli-Saudi normalization? Below, Atlantic Council experts share their answers to these and other pressing questions.
Click to jump to an expert analysis:
Jonathan Panikoff: The war has widened the gap over the prospect of a two-state solution
Shalom Lipner: The “Trump effect” will help Netanyahu sell this deal to his hard-liners
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib: The deal risks freezing the conflict with no political horizon
Liz Cathcart: The disparities are striking, but there is never an “equal” hostage deal
Danny Citrinowicz: Now Israel needs to aim for normalization with Saudi Arabia
Thomas S. Warrick: Who governs postwar Gaza when the shooting stops?
Alex Plitsas: Now for the hard part—a long-term solution for Gaza