Israel and Hamas will exchange hostages and prisoners

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a pause in their devastating two-year war and the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners — a breakthrough greeted Thursday with joy and relief but also caution.

Uncertainty remains about aspects of the broader ceasefire plan advanced by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump — such as whether and how Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza. But the sides appear closer than they have been in months to ending a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, reduced much of Gaza to rubble, brought famine to parts of the territory and left dozens of hostages, living and dead, in Gaza.

The war, which began with Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.

Some 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led assault, and 251 were taken hostage. In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and nearly 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half of the deaths were women and children.

Even with the agreement expected to be finalized later in the day, Israeli strikes continued, with explosions seen Thursday in northern Gaza. At least 11 dead Palestinians and another 49 who were wounded arrived at hospitals over the past 24 hours, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

An Israeli military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines said Israel was continuing to hit targets that posed a threat to its troops as they reposition.

In the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, celebrations were relatively muted and often colored by grief.

“I am happy and unhappy. We have lost a lot of people and lost loved ones, friends and family. We lost our homes,” said Mohammad Al-Farra. “Despite our happiness, we cannot help but think of what is to come. … The areas we are going back to, or intending to return to, are uninhabitable.”

In Tel Aviv, families of the remaining hostages popped champagne and cried tears of joy after Trump announced a deal late Wednesday.

In Jerusalem on Thursday, Sharon Canot celebrated with some others.

“We are so excited this morning. We cried all morning,” she said. “It’s been two years that we are in horror.”

Under the terms, Hamas intends to release all living hostages in a matter of days, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of an agreement that has not fully been made public. Some 20 of the 48 hostages still in captivity are believed to be alive.

In a short video posted by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Trump was seen speaking by phone to a group of elated hostage families.

“They are all coming back on Monday,” said Trump, who is expected in the region in the coming days.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu planned to convene his smaller Security Cabinet and then the full Cabinet to approve the deal.

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has opposed previous ceasefire deals, said he had “mixed emotions,” and warned that while he welcomed the return of the hostages, he believed an exchange could strengthen Hamas. He called for Israel to continue trying to eradicate Hamas and to ensure Gaza is demilitarized once the hostages are released.

Hamas, meanwhile, called on Trump and the mediators to ensure that Israel fully implements the troop withdrawal, the entry of aid into Gaza and the exchange of prisoners. Hamas officials said nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners are to be released, including 250 serving long sentences, while the rest are people who were detained during the war in Gaza.

Much speculation has focused on whether Marwan Barghouti — a senior Fatah leader in the Israeli-occupied West Bank during the intifada, or Palestinian uprising, that erupted in 2000 — will be among them. But Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said Thursday that “at this point Marwan Barghouti will not be part of this release.”

The days ahead could be politically tricky for Netanyahu, who has been shadowed by an ongoing corruption trial…