President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that both Israel and Hamas had "signed off" on the first phase of a peace plan in Gaza following negotiations in the Egyptian Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh. A ceasefire then came into effect on Friday.
Phase one of the deal will see all remaining hostages returned from Gaza, a number of Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails and the partial withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces inside the strip.
IDF in Gaza preparing for ceasefire implementation
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Thursday morning that it had "begun operational preparations for the implementation" of the proposed ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli armor is parked in a staging area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, on Oct. 9, 2025.
Ariel Schalit/AP
The IDF said it was "carrying out preparations and a combat procedure for the transition to adjusted deployment lines in the near future. The IDF continues to be deployed in the region and to prepare for any operational development."
-ABC News' Kevin Shalvey
Oct 08, 2025, 11:37 PM EDT
IDF warns Palestinians not to return to northern Gaza
An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, in a notice on social media, warned Palestinians not to return to northern Gaza, saying it remains a dangerous combat zone.
"IDF forces continue to surround Gaza City, and returning to it is extremely dangerous," the IDF Arab media spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a post on X.
In the post, Adraee warned Palestinians not to go north or to approach "areas where IDF forces are deployed and operating anywhere in the Strip, including in the south and east, until official instructions are issued."
United Nations vehicles drive on a road as displaced Palestinians, fleeing northern Gaza due to an Israeli military operation, move southwards following Israeli forces' orders to leave Gaza City, in the central Gaza Strip October 3, 2025.
Mahmoud Issa/Reuters
Oct 08, 2025, 10:35 PM EDT
IDF instructed to 'be ready for any scenario' and prepare to lead hostage return operations
The Israel Defense Forces have been instructed to "prepare strong defenses and be ready for any scenario," after the announcement that the first phase of a ceasefire deal has been reached, the IDF said in a statement early Thursday morning local time.
"The IDF welcomes the signing of the agreement for the return of the hostages," the IDF said in the statement. "Force deployments will be carried out in accordance with the directives of the political echelon and the stages of the agreement, with responsibility and a focus on the safety of our soldiers."
This picture taken during a media tour organised by the Israeli army shows an Israeli soldier behind a mounted machine gun in the vicinity of the Jordanian Field Hospital in Gaza City, Friday, Oct. 3, 2025.
Jack Guez/AP
The IDF chief of the General Staff also instructed IDF soldiers to "prepare to lead the operation for the hostages' return," the statement added.
Under the terms of the first phase of the deal, IDF troops will need to withdraw to a line agreed upon in the ceasefire deal within 24 hours after the deal has been approved by the Israeli government Thursday, according to a senior White House official.
It's still unclear when on Thursday the Israeli government will vote to approve the deal.
-ABC News' Dana Savir
Oct 08, 2025, 9:51 PM EDT
Trump says hostages could be released Monday
President Donald Trump said hostages being held by Hamas could be released on Monday under the first phase of an agreement brokered by the U.S.
Speaking to Fox News' Sean Hannity on Wednesday night, Trump said, “The big thing is, hostages are going to be released … probably Monday."
He added, "They're deep ... in the earth, and they're being gotten and a lot of things are happening right now as we speak. So much is happening to get the hostages freed, and we think they'll all be coming back on Monday."
The release of the hostages includes the bodies of those who have died, which is believed to number 28, Trump said.
Trump said "the whole world came together" to support the ceasefire proposal, citing the support of various Arab countries during negotiations.
