Peace stop: Hamas releases hostages ahead of Egypt summit

An international summit on ending the war in the Gaza Strip will be held in Egypt on October 13. The leaders of more than 20 countries will discuss the implementation of US President Donald Trump's peace plan. On the morning of the same day, Hamas is obliged to release all the surviving hostages. Israel, in turn, must release several hundred supporters of the movement, including those convicted of terrorism for life, and withdraw its forces to the agreed positions. However, a long—term settlement is questionable, since Hamas does not intend to disarm. The media has already reported that the security forces of the movement have begun to regain control of the exclave — they are conducting road checks and disarming gangs beyond their control.

A truce overseen by Trump

On October 13, an international summit dedicated to ending the war in the Gaza Strip will be held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The event will be attended by the leaders of more than twenty countries, including key countries in the Middle East.

The summit will discuss the implementation of agreements between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas, reached through the mediation of US President Donald Trump. On October 9, the American leader announced that the parties were ready to implement the first phase of the peace plan, which includes the exchange of hostages and prisoners, as well as the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops.

According to the terms of the deal, Hamas must hand over all living hostages to Israel on October 13. In response, Israel will withdraw its forces to an agreed line inside the Gaza Strip and release several hundred Palestinian prisoners, including those sentenced to life for terrorism.

The settlement plan presented by Trump on September 29 includes 20 points. It provides for an immediate cease-fire, subject to the release of the hostages within 72 hours, and also excludes the participation of Hamas and other armed groups in the governance of Gaza. According to the document, control over the exclave should be transferred to a temporary technocratic administration under international supervision, headed by Trump himself.

While the first phase of the deal looks realistic, a long-term settlement will require addressing complex issues, including the disarmament of Hamas, Israel's complete withdrawal, and the establishment of a Gaza governance system.

Hani Salah, an expert on Palestinian resistance issues, believes that it is important to distinguish between the American plan and the position of Hamas itself. In his opinion, the Palestinian movement has agreed to the release of hostages and withdrawal from power in Gaza, but the issue of disarmament remains a matter of principle for him.

— Hamas has repeatedly stated that it is ready to consider the transfer of weapons only if a full-fledged Palestinian state is created. However, the transfer of weapons to Israel or consent to the deployment of international forces in Gaza remains unacceptable for the Palestinian side," the expert told Izvestia.

According to the Axios portal, the US president personally guaranteed the leadership of Hamas that Israel would not violate the truce, which became a decisive factor for the movement to agree to the deal. At the same time, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said on October 12 that after the release of the hostages, the army, together with international forces, would continue the operation to destroy underground tunnels and disarm the group.

Hamas began the persecution of groups in Gaza

The media is already reporting that the Hamas security forces have begun to regain control of the territory of Gaza. According to the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, the movement's cells have expanded their presence in the central and southern areas of the strip, where Israeli troops were previously stationed. Palestinian sources note that Hamas security forces are conducting roadside checks and detaining members of armed groups formed during the war.

According to the BBC, the Hamas leadership has also mobilized about 7,000 of its fighters to restore order in areas abandoned by the Israeli army. The movement has appointed five new governors who previously served in the military wing of the organization.

At the same time, local authorities have begun to restore infrastructure — they are repairing desalination plants and restoring water supply to residents.

Roman Yanushevsky, editor-in-chief of the website of the 9th Israeli TV channel, believes that the IDF operation "Gideon's Chariots-2" to capture Gaza would hardly have led to the complete defeat of Hamas, but gradually weakened it.

— The territory in which the militants could operate freely was steadily shrinking, which undermined the authority of the movement in the eyes of the population. This created the prerequisites for internal confrontation between various clans, some of which tried to assert themselves. They are the ones Hamas is trying to pay off today," Yanushevsky told Izvestia.

He also noted that after the exchange and return of the Israeli hostages, it would be difficult for the Jewish state to resume active hostilities in Gaza. The world, Yanushevsky stressed, perceives the return of prisoners as the main argument in favor of ending the war, and any Israeli decision to resume the operation could cause serious international opposition.

Meanwhile, sources in the movement confirmed to the Saudi TV channel Asharq that they are preparing in Gaza and the West Bank to receive the Palestinians, whom Israel will release as part of the exchange. The operation will take place with the participation of representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Egyptian observers, without public ceremonies or media coverage.

The upcoming summit in Sharm el-Sheikh should consolidate the agreements reached and define the format for international monitoring of the implementation of the plan. According to the idea of the American side, it is this mechanism that will become the basis for further political settlement and the gradual demilitarization of Gaza.