At noon local time Friday, the bombs stopped falling. For the first time in over two years, the skies above Gaza were quiet. The Israeli military confirmed its troops had withdrawn to agreed lines, and thousands of displaced Palestinians began the slow trek north past shattered homes, unmarked graves, and the acrid smell of burnt concrete. This fragile pause in hostilities marks the start of the first phase of President Donald Trump’s 20-point truce plan, brokered after months of high-stakes diplomacy and a surprise Israeli airstrike on Doha that nearly derailed everything. Yet even as families step into daylight without fear of drones overhead, the Armed Conflict’s human toll more than 67,000 dead, half of them women and children looms over every handshake and headline.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hamas has 72 hours to release all remaining hostages 20 believed alive and the remains of 28 others. Israeli officials confirmed the living will be handed over simultaneously, possibly as early as Monday. In return, Israel will free 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and another 1,700 detained since October 7, 2023. Notably, Marwan Barghouti the symbolic leader many Palestinians see as a unifying figure will not be among them. The White House called the exchange “a critical first step,” while U.S. military planners prepare to deploy up to 200 troops to Israel not Gaza to support humanitarian aid and coordinate security through a new Civil-Military Coordination Cell. These forces will help ensure both sides uphold their commitments, acting as eyes and ears without setting foot inside the Strip.
The deal didn’t emerge from calm negotiation rooms it was forged in fire. A turning point came in September when Israel launched unexpected airstrikes on Doha, killing six, including a Qatari security officer. The attack stunned the White House and risked alienating Qatar, a key mediator. But rather than collapse talks, Trump used the moment to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning he would block any West Bank annexation and insisting the war end. On the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Trump convened Arab leaders, rebuilt trust with Qatar through a Netanyahu apology, and presented his 20-point plan as a fait accompli. Behind the scenes, Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff worked sleepless nights in Cairo, splitting the agreement into two phases to secure immediate action while deferring thornier issues like Gaza’s governance. “It came together quick in a good way,” Witkoff said, exhausted but resolute.
The first phase buys time but not answers. Trump’s plan proposes a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” to govern Gaza temporarily, overseen by a “Board of Peace” co-led by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. This interim body would hold power until the Palestinian Authority is “reformed,” a vague condition that leaves room for dispute. Crucially, Hamas has agreed to the hostage exchange but has not committed to disarming a core demand of the plan. Without that, long-term stability remains elusive. Still, momentum is building: Germany pledged €29 million in aid and will co-host a Gaza reconstruction conference with Egypt, signaling international willingness to rebuild if peace holds. For now, the Humanitarian Corridor is open, and hope, however cautious, is returning to streets once ruled by fear.
Trump plans to travel to Egypt soon to sign the agreement formally and may address Israel’s Knesset a symbolic capstone to a deal he calls “a great deal” where “everybody is happy.” But on the ground, happiness is measured in small acts: a child drinking clean water, a mother finding her son’s schoolbag in the rubble, neighbors sharing bread. The war’s end was never just about stopping bullets it’s about restoring belief that tomorrow can be different. U.S. officials admit the next phase is “delicate,” with governance, disarmament, and reconstruction still unresolved. Yet for the first time in 730 days, Gaza breathes. And in that breath lies the fragile seed of something new. Peace Isn’t Signed On Paper—It’s Built Brick By Brick In The Silence After The Guns Fall Quiet.
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