8:35Plumes of smoke are visible rising from Gaza City after an Israeli military assault, as observed from the heart of the Gaza Strip on Oct. 8, 2025.Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
Even as U.S. functionaries and figures in the Middle East commemorate the suggested Gaza truce agreement between the Israeli administration and Hamas, numerous inquiries persist concerning the schedule and hurdles to concluding the hostilities and retrieving the captives that remain ahead before a pact to entirely cease the conflict is achieved.
These involve specifics of the agreement’s timetable, and impediments to halting the combat and regaining the hostages.
The initial stage of the arrangement, which is anticipated to gain approval from the Israeli government this Thursday, will witness the return of all remaining captives from Gaza, the liberation of a number of Palestinian detainees from Israeli penitentiaries, and the partial departure of the Israel Defense Forces within the Gaza Strip.
It is foreseen that humanitarian assistance will flow rapidly into Gaza once land passages are reopened.
A high-ranking Israeli representative informed ABC News on Thursday that the 72-hour timeframe for Hamas to free all captives will commence after the Israeli governing body endorses the accord.
A military vehicle is seen moving on the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza boundary, in Israel, October 3, 2025.Amir Cohen/Reuters
The 20 captives assumed to still be alive are predicted to be freed as a unified cluster on Sunday or Monday, the representative stated. President Donald Trump, during a gathering of his cabinet at the White House on Thursday, indicated that the release of the captives might transpire on Monday or Tuesday.
Subsequently, negotiators will advance to the subsequent phase of Trump's 20-point peace blueprint, which was revealed in late September.
Sources knowledgeable about the dialogues conveyed to ABC News that understandings still need to be achieved on certain of the most intricate aspects of the strategy.
These encompass the complete departure of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, Hamas relinquishing dominion over Gaza, the disarming and dismantling of the militant group’s weaponry, and the cession of Gaza's governance to an international custodianship overseen by the U.S. and allied Arab nations.
The difficulties in executing these stipulations are substantial, according to sources possessing insights into the negotiations.
Palestinians proceed past a demolished structure, as they scrutinize the damage in the wake of an Israeli operation in the Sabra locality of Gaza City, October 8, 2025.Ebrahim Hajjaj/Reuters
European and Arab allies intend to assemble in Paris this Thursday for a Gaza "day after" conference.
The conference will center on three principal domains: security, administration, and rebuilding. Discussions concerning Palestinian statehood will also be deliberated, according to a French diplomatic informant.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was at first mulling over partaking in the Paris parley, but he communicated to correspondents on Capitol Hill this Wednesday that he is not anticipated to grace the session owing to the swiftly evolving scenario in the Middle East. Rubio issued the declaration prior to the announcement that the initial phase of a ceasefire agreement had been attained.
An executive department official apprised ABC News that should President Trump journey to the Middle East this weekend, Rubio will be accompanying him.
ABC News' Ivan Pereira lent a hand to this article.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
