Hamas has said it will require a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip once the remaining hostages are handed over.
The position emerged as indirect talks between Israel and Hamas continued in Egypt on Tuesday, 7 October, focused on a 20-point ceasefire framework advanced by US President Donald Trump.
A Hamas source told Al Jazeera the group is seeking international guarantees that Israel will implement a permanent ceasefire and fully pull out of Gaza as part of any agreement. Under Trump’s proposal, Hamas would transfer the remaining 48 hostages—both living and deceased—after which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would begin a phased withdrawal from the enclave. Negotiators are currently discussing the timetable for the releases.
Al Jazeera has published the text of the US plan, released on 29 September, which sets out sequential steps: an immediate cessation of hostilities, the release of all remaining Israeli captives within 72 hours of a ceasefire taking effect, and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, including those detained after October 2023. The framework also envisages an interim technocratic administration for Gaza under international oversight and steps toward longer-term governance arrangements.
In recent days Hamas has indicated it accepts elements of the US plan and is prepared to release all hostages—alive and dead—“in a manner that achieves” a permanent cessation of hostilities and a full Israeli withdrawal. However, the group has signalled that specific operational conditions on the ground will determine the pace of releases. Media reports suggest that of the 48 captives, around 20 are believed to be alive.
Trump has publicly pressed the parties to move quickly. On 3 October he set a Sunday evening deadline in Washington for Hamas to accept the proposal, warning on Truth Social that if no agreement was reached “all hell” would “break out” against the group. The ultimatum followed the plan’s publication and consultations with regional states on the margins of the UN General Assembly in September.
Talks opened in Egypt on 6 October and are continuing this week, with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States involved. Reporting from Cairo indicates that day one concluded on a “positive” note, with delegations focusing on the sequencing of a truce, hostage releases and initial Israeli force movements.
The Trump plan outlines a phased approach under which Israel would halt operations, fix front lines and then commence a staged pullback once the hostage provisions are fulfilled. It also introduces arrangements for prisoner exchanges— including life-sentence detainees and Gazans held since October 2023—alongside the repatriation of remains on both sides. Separate provisions address Gaza’s administration during a transition, with several reports referencing a technocratic body under international supervision.
While Israel has engaged in the Egyptian channel, core issues remain unresolved. Hamas is seeking binding guarantees against a resumption of hostilities after the releases, as well as clarity on the scope and timing of a full pull-out. For its part, Israel has insisted on security assurances and has opposed any future governing role for Hamas. Analysts note that the plan’s implementation will hinge on the practicalities of locating all captives and remains, the logistics of prisoner exchanges, and the establishment of an interim administrative mechanism acceptable to the parties and to key regional actors.
The discussions coincide with the second anniversary of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and the ensuing Gaza war. International attention has intensified around the ceasefire push, with media describing broad—though not uniform—regional support for efforts to end the fighting, release hostages and expand humanitarian access. Officials and outlets covering the talks report cautious optimism but underscore that significant political and operational barriers remain.
As of Tuesday evening, negotiators were still working on a schedule for releases and the parameters of a phased withdrawal. Hamas’s stated requirement—that withdrawal be completed following the handover of the last hostage—adds a further condition to the sequencing already embedded in the US plan. The coming stages of the Cairo track are expected to test whether both sides can agree on a binding timeline, verification mechanisms and third-party guarantees to move from a temporary truce to a permanent ceasefire.
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