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The Surviving Israeli Hostages Have Finally Been Released. Here's What Happens Next

The Surviving Israeli Hostages Have Finally Been Released. Here's What Happens Next

People react as they watch a live broadcast of Israeli hostages released from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, at a plaza known as hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) It has been a day of joy and celebration in Israel, as the last 20 surviving hostages were finally released after more than two years in captivity in Gaza. Palestinian prisoners held in Israel are also being freed as part of Donald Trump’s historic peace plan for the war-torn region. Addressing the Israeli Knesset, the US president said: “You’ve won. Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.” Trump had earlier told reporters travelling with him on board Air Force One that “the war is over”. However, a permanent peace remains a remote prospect and months – possibly years – of painstaking negotiations lie ahead. Here is what we expect to happen next. The bodies of the last dead hostages must be handed over Trump’s peace plan made clear that the bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages in Gaza had to be handed over by Hamas. The militant group announced on Monday that they had initially only handed over four deceased – Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi and Daniel Peretz. Hamas officials have told mediators that they do not know where the remains of some of the other 24 dead hostages are. This is potentially a major sticking point as failure to hand over all of the remaining bodies would be a clear contravention of the deal agreed by Israel and Hamas. Israel must also hand over 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israel, as well as 1,700 arrested since the war began. Demilitarisation of Gaza Once the hostage and prisoner swap is completed, negotiations will take place on the destruction of Hamas’ weaponry, including the tunnels it uses below Gaza, to prevent any further military attacks on Gaza. The aim is for Gaza to become “a de-radicalised terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbours”. Any Hamas member who “commits to peaceful co-existence” and decommissions their weapons would be granted amnesty – or face exile. A temporary international stabilisation force would also be put in place, made up of US, Arab and European personnel, to oversee security in Gaza and facilitate the training of a Palestinian police force. Board of Peace The Trump plan foresees Gaza initially being run by a technocratic group of administrators including apolitical Palestinian officials and chaired by the US president himself. Former prime minister Tony Blair has also been lined up to sit on the body, although Trump appeared to cast doubt on that actually happening on Sunday night, saying he wanted to confirm “he’s an acceptable choice to everybody”. Blair still carries a lot of baggage in the Middle East, given the US-UK invasion of Iraq in 2003 in pursuit of non-existent weapons of mass destruction. A Long-Term Solution? A dialogue would be initiated between Israel and the Palestinians to establish a political framework that promotes peaceful co-existence and mutual understanding. Trump’s plan recognises that a state of their own is “the aspiration of the Palestinian people”, although Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already ruled out the possibility of one being established. BBC international affairs editor Jeremy Bowen gave a gloomy assessment of the prospects of a long-term peaceful settlement for the Middle East. He said: “The ceasefire at the moment seems pretty OK, not least because the Americans are pushing the Israelis very strongly not to break it. “However, in terms of governance of Gaza, security in Gaza for the Palestinians and for the Israelis over the border, for the future economy of the territory, and also the idea of having a multi-national force in place, none of these things, the really difficult stuff, has been agreed. “The Trump 20-point plan points to where they want it to go and what the objective is. How you get there hasn’t been worked out and that’s where the real problems, I think, are going to start.” He added: “Underlying everything that’s happening is this conflict between Israelis and Palestinians for control of the land between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea that started more than a century ago. “It’s complicated, it’s multi-faceted, it’s multi-layered, and it’s generational. And until the fundamentals of that are sorted out and settled in a way that both sides can accept, sadly I’m absolutely certain that the conflict will continue.” After two years of war, Israelis and the people of Gaza are entitled to celebrate the fact that the guns have, for now, fallen silent. But it is clear that there is a long way to go, and much that could still go wrong, before Trump’s claim that the “war is over” can be truly realised. Related... Trump Declares 'The War Is Over' As Israel Hostages Are Freed At Last BBC Expert Says The Israel-Palestine Conflict 'Will Continue' Despite Trump's Peace Plan Israel And Hamas Have Agreed To The First Stage Of Trump's Gaza Peace Plan. Here's What You Need To Know