—Sylvester Loving, B1Daily

Following a week of negotiations in Egypt between the Arab states, Israel and the US, President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have “signed off on the first phase” of the 20-point peace plan he unveiled last week.

It comes just two years after the shots were fired and hostages were taken from both sides on the attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed.

Israel responded with a offensive siege of the region, circling and eventually enclosing the entire Gaza Strip.

The agreement promises a ceasefire between all parties, along with an Israeli withdrawal of their regiments.

Israel will reportedly maintain 53% of the strip despite not legally owning any of it.

After this, a 72-hour countdown will begin during which Hamas must release all 20 of the hostages believed to be alive. The return of the bodies of the 28 deceased hostages are expected to be included.

Israel would then release about 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli jails and 1,700 detainees from Gaza, a Palestinian journalist told the B1Daily.

Around 450 trucks carrying food and aide will be allowed to pass through checkpoints according to Israeli PM Netanyahu, with an expectation that 400 trucks will be allowed to pass per day.

Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.

Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of state to be announced, including former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Members of the provisional board will include other Arab state members who have revitalized their own cities. A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries, leading many to question if there won’t be economic predation aimed at the Palestinians by the larger Arab and white states.

Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt.

Perhaps the most important point, the treaty calls for a International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will be a police force made of Egyptian and Lebanese fighters, reminiscent of the debacle between the Israeli and Lebanese civil conflict of the past.

Critics question if either side whom both have long histories of ignoring treaties, will actually stay faithful to this proposal.

Only time will tell.

—Sylvester Loving, B1Daily