“Live Updates: Israel-Hamas Deal Paves Way for Gaza Cease-Fire”, The New York Times
Current time in Jerusalem 2:17 p.m. Oct. 9
Oct. 9, 2025, 7:14 a.m. ET
An exchange of hostages and prisoners was expected this weekend. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said he would convene his cabinet to sign off on the agreement, and President Trump said he might travel to the region.
Oct. 9, 2025, 6:23 a.m. ET53 minutes ago
David M. Halbfinge,rEphrat Livni,Aaron Boxerman,Adam Rasgon,John Yoon, Gabby Sobelman and Isabel Kershner
Here’s the latest.
Israel and Hamas on Thursday edged closer to ending their devastating two-year war, agreeing on the initial terms of a deal that could pave the way to an imminent cease-fire and bringing relief to the families of Israeli hostages and to two million Palestinians in Gaza.
The two sides were preparing for an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners this weekend after reaching an agreement overnight, the culmination of sustained pressure from President Trump and Arab mediators. Mr. Trump suggested that he would travel to the region over the weekend, and Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he had invited him to address Israel’s Parliament.
Though details were scarce, and the text of the agreement had not been made public, it promised at least a cease-fire if not a permanent end to a conflict that has set off a humanitarian catastrophe and widespread hunger in Gaza, battered Hamas militarily and left Israel exhausted and isolated internationally. It has also fueled an alarming rise in antisemitic violence across the world.
Mr. Netanyahu was convening his cabinet on Thursday to sign off on the agreement, which an Israeli official briefed on the matter said would mark the start of a formal cease-fire. The deal’s first phase requires Israel to pull back its troops to an agreed-upon line in Gaza. The Israeli military said that it was preparing to lead the operation for the hostages’ return and to “transition to adjusted deployment lines soon.”
Hamas called on Mr. Trump and others to compel Israel “to fully implement the agreement’s requirements and not allow it to evade or delay” carrying them out.
But some of the most difficult issues between Israel and Hamas appeared to have been left to a future phase of negotiations, including who would rule postwar Gaza and whether, to what degree and how Hamas would lay down its weapons.
In Gaza, where food shortages have led international experts to declare a famine in part of the territory, aid workers expressed hope that they could soon begin speeding supplies to the hungry. Hamas and Qatar, one of the countries brokering the negotiations, also indicated in statements that the agreement would allow for the entry of aid into Gaza.
Hours after Mr. Trump announced the “historic” deal, the Israeli military reminded residents of Gaza in a statement that its troops continued to occupy the territory and were still fighting a war. Explosions and smoke rose from Gaza on Thursday morning, indicating that Israeli military operations were continuing even as a cease-fire was expected to begin soon.
Here’s what else to know:
- Details unclear: Officials didn’t elaborate on the specifics of the hostages-for-prisoners exchange or the lines to which Israeli forces would pull back. It was also uncertain that the agreement would translate into a permanent end to the war. One important sticking point is that Hamas has publicly rejected Mr. Netanyahu’s insistence that it disarm. Here’s what to know about the deal ›
- Toll of war: The war in Gaza started in October 2023 when Hamas led an attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking about 250 hostages. The Israeli military has since killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, including civilians and combatants, according to the Gaza health ministry, and reduced the territory’s infrastructure to ruins.
- Hope in Gaza: Palestinians in Gaza welcomed the announcement, but many had questions about what it will mean for them, their loved ones and their devastated communities. The situation had not changed in any material way on Thursday morning — food, water and medicine remained scarce and their cityscapes remained ruined — but there were reasons for hope. Read more ›
- Relief in Israel: Israel believes that about 20 living hostages are still being held in Gaza along with the remains of 28 others who died in captivity. A sense of elation swept Israel on Thursday as news of the deal broke, and many rushed to the so-called Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to celebrate.
- Pressure on Israel: Israel’s Sept. 9 strike targeting Hamas representatives in Qatar motivated an angry Mr. Trump and his advisers to push Mr. Netanyahu to supporting a framework for ending the war, which Mr. Trump unveiled late last month. Read more ›