‘First phase’ of Ceasefire deal announced for Gaza

Crescent International

Rabi' al-Thani 16, 1447 2025-10-08

Daily News Analysis

by Crescent International

Palestinian Islamic resistance groups and the zionist entity agreed to the ‘first phase’ of the ceasefire deal in Gaza late Wednesday evening (October 8).

Donald Trump first announced the breakthrough in a post on social media on Wednesday, saying Israel and Hamas have agreed on the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal.

Hamas said in a public statement that it has concluded an “agreement stipulating an end to the war on Gaza, the occupation’s withdrawal from it, the entry of aid, and a prisoner exchange.”

Mediated by Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye as well as the US, the indirect talks were held in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Trump dispatched his special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner who arrived in Egypt early October 8 morning.

Qatar, one of the key mediators in the talks, confirmed that an agreement had been reached on “all the provisions and implementation mechanisms” of the first phase of a ceasefire plan.

The indicted war criminal Benjamin Mileikowsky (aka Netanyahu) said he would convene his cabinet comprising his murderous allies on Thursday (October 9) to approve the Gaza ceasefire agreement, adding in a statement: “A great day for Israel”.

Before the October 8 ceasefire announcement, Trump had said he might go to Egypt for the signing ceremony.

This came about after Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, addressing police cadets had said it would be great if Trump could attend the ceremony if an agreement is reached.

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hailed the announcement as a “momentous opportunity” to establish a “credible political path forward” towards a two-state solution.

In urging all parties to abide by the terms, he said it would end Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory.

What does the first phase of this agreement entail?

1: An immediate ceasefire would go into effect in Gaza.

2: Hamas and other Palestinian resistance factions will release all Israeli prisoners they are holding. There are believed to be about 20 Israeli prisoners still alive.

3: The issue of dead Israelis is more complicated. Most bodies are buried under the rubble of bombed out buildings—bombed and destroyed by the zionist war criminals—and their recovery will take time.

4: Israel will release Palestinians held hostage in its dungeons. Hamas has provided the list of names of Palestinian prisoners to the mediators it wants released.

5: Desperately needed food deliveries will be resumed to the starving people of Gaza. This will be supervised by the UN and its agencies.

6: Zionist occupation forces will withdraw to agreed upon lines as part of the first phase.

7: Recovery and reconstruction efforts must also begin immediately.

While there is no guarantee that the zionist war criminals will abide by the agreement, two developments give hope.

First, Trump’s visit to participate in the signing ceremony indicates that he is serious about the ceasefire agreement.

It is not because he cares for Palestinian lives but that he is desperate to get the Nobel Peace Prize and he sees this as his best chance of securing it.

Second, soon after the agreement was announced, Netanyahu had a phone conversation with Trump in which he thanked him for his support.

He then invited the American president to come to Israel “to address the Israeli Knesset.”

Clearly, this is Netanyahu’s way of saving his hide from the neo-Nazis that dominate his cabinet.

Trump’s presence will be his insurance policy.

The agreement may still fall apart.

Given Mileikowsky’s treacherous nature, he may walk away from the deal after securing the release of Israeli prisoners but Trump’s desperate desire for the Nobel Peace Prize may hold him back.

Whether Trump would get the prize is a different matter but the orange man thinks he surely deserves it after brokering a deal that eluded many of his predecessors.