(MENAFN- Live Mint) After months of stalemate, US President Donald Trump secured a long-awaited ceasefire and hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza , a deal that came together following an intense diplomatic push and significant support from several Arab and Muslim nations.

The agreement aims to temporarily halt the conflict sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 , attack on Israel. As part of the deal, Hamas is expected to release 48 hostages in the coming days, though only around 20 are believed to still be alive.

US to send 200 troops to Israel

The United States is sending about 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor the ceasefire deal in Gaza as part of a team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organisations and private-sector players, U.S. officials said Thursday.

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The officials, who spoke with Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss details that were not authorised for release, said U.S. Central Command is going to establish a“civil-military coordination center” in Israel that will help facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid as well as logistical and security assistance into the territory wracked by two years of war.

The coordination center will be staffed by about 200 U.S. service members who have expertise in transportation, planning, security, logistics and engineering, said the official, who noted that no American troops will be sent into Gaza.

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Members of the armed forces of Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are expected to be embedded with the team of 200 U.S. troops, according to one of the officials. The American service members will integrate the multinational force and coordinate with Israeli defence forces, the official told AP.

Who will rule Gaza?

While reaching this point was challenging, pushing forward with efforts to end the war will continue to test President Trump's patience and ability to stay focused.

There's also no certainty that the ceasefire will mark a real turning point in a region where temporary pauses in violence are far more common than lasting peace.

Palestinians gather to shop in a public square in Gaza City, Gaza, on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. Israel's cabinet convened late Thursday to formally approve a ceasefire deal in Gaza ahead of a hostage release. Photographer: Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg

Despite growing optimism, many critical issues remain unresolved, including the precise timeline of the agreement, who will govern Gaza after the war, and what the future holds for Hamas.

Also Read: Will Palestinians be able to stay in Gaza?

“It is not a peace agreement,” said Aaron David Miller, who served as an adviser on Middle East issues to Democratic and Republican administrations over two decades, as reported by AP.“It is not a guaranteed end to the war.”

At present, it's unclear who will take control of Gaza once the conflict ends. Hamas, which has ruled the territory since ousting rival Palestinian factions in 2007, has been ruled out by Netanyahu, Trump, and both Western and Arab powers.

What happens next?

The next phase of Trump's plan calls for an international body - the“Board of Peace” - to play a role in Gaza's post-war administration. Under the plan, it would be led by Trump and include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Also Read: Hamas, Israeli leaders head to Egypt to discuss Trump's Gaza peace plan - How likely is it to work?

Under Trump's plan, humanitarian aid entering Gaza is to increase. The Israeli official said 600 trucks per day would soon start entering Gaza. Two Palestinian sources said the number would be a minimum of 400 trucks a day and would gradually increase.

More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led militants stormed through Israeli towns and a music festival on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages.

Following the ceasefire, humanitarian aid is expected to begin flowing to Palestinians. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for full access for aid workers in Gaza and emphasised that the United Nations is ready and“prepared to move – now.”

Trump's plan also proposes an international stabilisation force, which may start to take shape after a meeting in Paris on Thursday involving European ministers and senior officials from Arab nations. The meeting will also cover future governance of Gaza, aid, reconstruction, and demilitarisation.

When will the Gaza hostages be released?

Trump said on Thursday that he expects the Gaza hostages to be released on Monday or Tuesday. At a White House Cabinet meeting, Trump discussed the deal reached the previous day, which includes the release of hostages held by Hamas as part of an initial phase of a broader plan for Gaza.

He expressed confidence that the agreement would lead to“lasting peace.”

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Hamas is to release the 20 living hostages together, 72 hours after the ceasefire begins, the sources told Reuters.

Palestinian sources told Reuters that the bodies of dead hostages would be released gradually as Israel's military withdraws. Gal Hirsch, Israel's hostage coordinator, said an international force would be established to help find any dead hostages whom Hamas cannot locate.

Israel is expected to release about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including over 200 who are serving life sentences, the Palestinian sources said, according to the report.

Hamas said on Wednesday it had handed over its lists of the hostages being held and the Palestinian prisoners it wanted freed and exchanged.

(With inputs from agencies)

It is not a peace agreement. It is not a guaranteed end to the war.

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