Powder Point: Israeli troops leave major cities in Gaza

On October 10, Israel began withdrawing troops from key cities in the Gaza Strip in accordance with an agreement with Hamas brokered by Egypt. Within three days after the withdrawal of troops, Hamas is obliged to release all living hostages. In response, Israel will hand over Palestinian prisoners; prominent leaders of the movement are missing from this list, although negotiations on them are ongoing. Some prisoners serving life sentences may be deported from the Palestinian territories.

When will Hamas release the hostages

The ceasefire in the Gaza Strip came into force on October 10 at 12:00 local time, the press service of the Israel Defense Forces reported.

"The IDF has begun to take up positions along the updated deployment lines in preparation for the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the return of hostages," the statement said.

The Israeli army radio Galei IDF reported that by Friday, the military will fix the positions on the line of retreat established in the agreement. This moment actually starts the 72-hour countdown during which Hamas must return the hostages.

The deal provides for the release of 20 living hostages and the return of the bodies of 28 victims. Israel, in turn, will hand over the bodies of 360 Palestinian militants. All Palestinian children and women will also be released, and 250 prisoners sentenced to life in prison and 1,700 residents of the Gaza Strip detained after October 7, 2023, will be released from prisons. According to media estimates, the release of the hostages will begin on Monday, October 13.

According to sources on the Saudi Asharq TV channel, the list of Palestinian prisoners handed over to Hamas does not include major leaders of the movement, but negotiations on them are ongoing. Some prisoners with life sentences may be deported from the Palestinian territories.

Palestinian security expert Mohammed al-Masri notes in an interview with Izvestia that all sides have suffered in the conflict. According to him, Hamas has lost a lot, but the Palestinian people have suffered even greater losses.

— There are no winning sides, the balance of power has changed. The alliances that Hamas had are no longer helping Gaza or changing the course of the confrontation. Hamas may lose power and return in five years, but the people will not be able to return those who died and lost their homes," the expert stressed.

According to him, the primary task now is to end the war and ensure the implementation of the stages of the peace plan agreed upon with the mediation of the United States in order to minimize further casualties.

The security Commission, which includes Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States, will begin work on Friday to monitor the transfer of hostages and bodies, as well as coordinate with Hamas and Israeli technical teams.

Israel remains in control of 53% of Gaza.

Although key issues of a long-term settlement, including the disarmament of Hamas, the complete withdrawal of Israel and the governance of Gaza, remain unresolved, the deal looks the most realistic possible: the previous temporary truces in November 2023 and January 2025 did not last long.

The release of all hostages and the transfer of bodies deprives Hamas of its main trump card and frees Israel's hands, Roman Yanushevsky, editor-in-chief of the website of the 9th Israeli TV channel, tells Izvestia.

— Israel currently retains military control over half of the Gaza Strip. However, it will be extremely problematic, if at all possible, to resume hostilities at the second stage," he said.

At the same time, the Palestinian movement retains power in Gaza and its military structure, Yanushevsky added.

Hamas representatives emphasize that the issue of disarmament cannot be considered in isolation from the Palestinian political context. The movement says it is ready to discuss the surrender of weapons only in consultations with other Palestinian forces, the purpose of which will be to work out a joint agreement.

According to Hamas, any unilateral demand to disarm without a mechanism to protect the rights and security of the Palestinians and without clear guarantees of an end to the Israeli occupation would be unacceptable. That is why the movement insists on the inclusion of a wide range of Palestinian representatives and guarantees from the mediators in the negotiations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in turn, said that the Palestinian movement would eventually be disarmed.

"We are clamping down on Hamas from all sides, preparing for the next stages of the plan in which Hamas will be disarmed. If this is achieved in an easy way, so be it. If not, we will achieve this the hard way," he said on October 10.

Nevertheless, the announcement of the cessation of hostilities sparked celebrations in Israel and Gaza, where the war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and left the Palestinian exclave in ruins. The final draft of the agreement was signed on October 9, and the Israeli Cabinet approved the deal on the night of the 10th.

After the withdrawal of forces, Israel remains in control of about 53% of the territory. Then a 72-hour countdown is scheduled to begin, during which Hamas must hand over the hostages.

The agreement provides for the creation of an information exchange mechanism coordinated by intermediaries and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Through him, Hamas will transmit information about the condition of the hostages, and Israel will provide information about the detained Palestinians and the remains of dead Gazans.