Gaza agreement: Task force will help Hamas locate bodies of hostages

Israel and Hamas sign peace agreement for the first phase of ceasefire in the Gaza Strip Israel and Hamas announced this Wednesday (8) that they have reached an agreement to implement a peace plan in the Gaza Strip. According to the United States press, Hamas asked for a longer period of time to return the bodies of the victims who died. Turkey will participate in a joint task force — along with Israel, the United States, Qatar and Egypt — that will be created to locate the bodies of hostages killed in Gaza, whose locations are unknown, a senior Turkish official said on Thursday. Turkish officials took part in talks in Egypt that resulted in a ceasefire and hostage agreement on Thursday. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp ▶️ The peace plan was presented at the end of September by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and negotiated with the mediation of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. According to Trump, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement to implement the first phase of the peace plan. At this stage, all hostages held by the terrorist group since October 7, 2023 will be released. In return, Israel will release Palestinian prisoners. Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip must retreat from their positions. The Palestinian territory will receive more humanitarian aid trucks, delivering food, water and medicine. 🟢 Hostages: According to Israel, Hamas still holds 48 of the 251 kidnapped in the October 2023 terrorist attack. The remaining victims were released during the validity of two other ceasefire agreements or through Israeli military operations. The proposal presented by the United States provides that Hamas will have up to 72 hours to release all hostages, dead or alive. Israel estimates that, of the 48 hostages, only 20 are alive. According to Trump, all hostages will probably be released on Monday (13). On the other hand, the American press reported that the terrorist group asked for more time to return the bodies of the victims who died. Hamas claims that it does not know where all the bodies of the dead hostages are and that it needs to carry out searches to locate the missing. In return, Israel is expected to release almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including those sentenced to life imprisonment. 💥 Attacks on Gaza: The plan calls for an end to bombings in the Gaza Strip. According to Trump, the Israel Defense Forces will withdraw to lines agreed with Hamas, which indicates that troops will still remain in Palestinian territory. GloboNews learned from the Israel Defense Forces that the country agreed to reduce the occupation area in Gaza from 75% to 57% initially. The plan released by the White House at the end of September already provided for a gradual withdrawal of troops from Palestinian territory. Israel’s chief of staff instructed troops to prepare for all scenarios and the hostage return operation. Even before the agreement, Trump had already asked Israel to reduce operations in Gaza. Israeli media reported that the military had been ordered to slow down the offensive. 🤝 Start of the ceasefire: It is still unclear when the peace agreement will officially come into force. Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that the proposal will be voted on by the government on Thursday (9). The internal vote on the agreement is a formal procedure of the Israeli government. Similar processes occurred in the other two ceasefire agreements signed in November 2023 and January 2025. According to the AFP, the agreement must be formally signed at 6 am this Thursday, Brasília time. Trump is expected to travel to Israel in the coming days. The US president was invited to speak in the country’s Parliament. On Wednesday, he told reporters he was considering visiting the Gaza Strip. 🔎 What remains to be clarified: Despite the announcement, several details of the treaty have not yet been released. It is not known, for example, whether the entire plan presented by the White House was accepted by Israel and Hamas, or whether there were modifications. On a social network, Trump stated that this is the “first phase” and the “first steps” towards peace. The American press states that this suggests that there are still points in the plan that will need to be discussed for its implementation. The Israeli press reported that the most sensitive points of the agreement had been resolved. It is also unclear what the government transition in the Gaza Strip, proposed by the White House, will be like. Furthermore, there is no confirmation that Hamas has committed to handing over its weapons. The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023, when terrorists launched an attack that resulted in the death of more than 1,200 people and the kidnapping of another 251. Since then, more than 60,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza, according to data from authorities linked to Hamas. READ ALSO Trump says he may go to Gaza during visit to the Middle East Shortly before the announcement, Rubio wrote a note to Trump talking about the signed agreement; SEE Netanyahu celebrates peace agreement with Hamas and says the treaty represents ‘moral victory’ for Israel Peace plan Palestinians look at smoke in the distance from Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip on October 5, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa The proposal released by the White House at the end of September has 20 points and foresees the Gaza Strip as a zone free of armed groups. Under the plan, members of the terrorist group Hamas can receive amnesty, as long as they surrender their weapons and commit to peaceful coexistence. They will also not be able to participate in the government of Gaza. Also according to the proposal, Gaza should have a temporary transitional government formed by a technocratic and apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for managing day-to-day public services. The group must be composed of Palestinians considered “qualified” and international experts. All work will be under the supervision of the so-called “Peace Council”, headed by Donald Trump. It is unclear whether Israel will join this group. This committee will be responsible for managing resources for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Hamas and other Palestinian factions will be prevented from participating in the new government, directly and indirectly. In the future, power must be transferred to the Palestinian Authority — internationally recognized as the government of the Palestinian territories. This transfer, however, is conditional on reforms in the Palestinian Authority itself, according to the White House. The plan also foresees an economic and development package to be prepared by a panel of experts. According to the White House, these professionals have already participated in the creation of modern cities in the Middle East. Regarding security, Gaza would undergo demilitarization, with the destruction of all military infrastructure and a ban on new installations. The process would be supervised by independent monitors. The International Stabilization Force (ISF) will be created, made up of foreign actors in charge of training the new Palestinian police, who will take over internal security. The Israel Defense Forces will gradually withdraw from Gaza, handing over the occupied territories to the ISF. There will also be a security perimeter for Israeli military personnel to remain positioned until the risk of a resurgence of terrorist threats is eliminated. What Israel and Hamas say Israel’s tank near the border with the Gaza Strip Jack Guez / AFP ▶️ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated the agreement and highlighted the release of hostages held by the terrorist group. He also said that he will meet with the government leadership on Thursday (9) for internal approval of the treaty. “A great day for Israel,” he posted on a social network. “This is a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel.” “I thank the brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces and all security forces, thanks to their courage and sacrifice we have reached this day. With God’s help, together we will continue to achieve all our goals and expand peace with our neighbors.” ▶️ In a statement, Hamas praised the work of Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye in mediating the ceasefire and thanked Trump for his efforts to bring the war to a definitive end. The group also called on the treaty’s guarantor countries to force Israel to comply with all terms and avoid delaying the implementation of what was agreed. “We reaffirm that our people’s sacrifices will not be in vain, and that we will remain faithful to our promise, without giving up our people’s national rights until they achieve freedom, independence and self-determination,” he said.

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