Monday’s release of the last 20 living Israeli hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees marks a pivotal moment in the war in Gaza , though it’s unclear whether it signals the end of conflict.
US President Donald Trump, the chief architect of the plan, traveled to Israel and Egypt to declare an end to the war in a grand summit of dozens of world leaders, then departed, leaving a trail of unanswered questions in his wake.
Only the first phase of the plan has been implemented and only a few of the 20 points in Trump’s plan have been achieved so far. Many of the thorniest issues – including whether Hamas will lay down its arms, and who will govern Gaza – are yet to be resolved.
Here’s what we know.
Palestinians walk past the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza City, on October 14, 2025. Ebrahim Hajjaj/Reuters
Is the war actually over?
Israeli drones, airstrikes and shelling in Gaza stopped this week for the first time in months while Hamas military wing are not targeting Israeli forces in the enclave – meaning the fighting has in fact halted in Gaza.
But
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