The Gaza ceasefire is expected to come into effect at noon on Thursday, according to Israeli Channel 14, drawing attention to the first phase of the agreement announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump did not disclose the details of the first phase of the plan yesterday, which the White House had revealed in late September.

What do we know about this initial phase? Qatar, alongside Egypt, the United States, and Turkey, which helped mediate between Israel and Hamas, announced on Wednesday evening that both parties agreed “on all the terms and mechanisms for implementing the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, leading to the end of the war, the release of Israeli detainees and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid.”

What does the agreement include?

According to a Hamas leader, the movement will release 20 living prisoners at once in exchange for Israel releasing more than two thousand Palestinians, including 250 serving life sentences and 1700 arrested since the war began two years ago.

A Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations said the exchange should take place within 72 hours of the agreement’s implementation, noting that “the agreement was approved by the Palestinian factions,” according to AFP.

The source added that the agreement, to be officially signed in Egypt on Thursday morning (09:00 GMT), also stipulates the entry of at least 400 aid trucks daily into Gaza “during the first five days after the ceasefire.” He explained that this aid “will increase in the coming days.”

Additionally, “the agreement calls for the return of displaced persons from southern Gaza to Gaza City (center) and northern Gaza immediately upon implementation,” according to the same source.

Negotiations on implementing the second phase of Trump’s plan will begin “immediately” after the first phase starts, a Hamas leader confirmed.

The current agreement also provides for the gradual Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, according to a previously agreed-upon plan.

What is this withdrawal line?

According to the plan previously announced by the White House, documented with a map showing Israeli troop withdrawal lines, the withdrawal will start from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, passing through Beit Lahia, Gaza City, Al-Bureij, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, Khuza’a, and ending at Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip in later stages.

The withdrawal will be implemented longitudinally from north to south, passing through the main population centers in the Strip.

However, the peace plan revealed by the U.S. president last month did not specify a concrete route or timeline for the withdrawal.

The mentioned Trump plan included 20 provisions and stipulated that Gaza would be a demilitarized zone and that the Strip would be rebuilt.

It also stated that “after all Israeli hostages return, Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence and surrender their weapons will receive a general amnesty. Members wishing to leave Gaza will have safe passage to other countries.” It pointed to “aid entering Gaza and being distributed without interference from either side, through the United Nations and its agencies, the Red Crescent, and other international organizations not affiliated with either party.”

The opening of the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism stipulated in the January 19, 2025 agreement.

The plan also stated that the Palestinian territory will be governed by a temporary transitional authority consisting of a technocratic, non-political Palestinian committee responsible for managing daily public and municipal services. This committee will comprise qualified Palestinians and international experts, supervised and monitored by a new international transitional body called the “Peace Council,” chaired by Trump, with other members and heads of state to be announced later, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and manage the funding for Gaza’s reconstruction until the Palestinian Authority completes its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including Trump’s 2020 peace plan and the Saudi-French proposal, enabling it to regain control of Gaza safely and effectively.