Israel’s military has said the ceasefire agreement is now in effect in Gaza, which sets a timeline of 72 hours for Israeli hostages to be freed, according to the agreed proposal. But Benjamin Netanyahu has warned troops will stay until a condition is met. Watch and follow the latest below.
Friday 10 October 2025 11:38, UK
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Michael Clarke, Sky News military analyst, has been discussing today’s developments on the ground in Gaza.
He told Sky News presenter Samantha Washington that while the IDF were withdrawing to lines agreed under the deal, they still remained in control of almost 60% of the Gaza Strip.
“In due course, they’ll have to withdraw, in theory, right back to a buffer zone. But they’re not going to leave the strip entirely.”
Clarke said Donald Trump was “very, very vague” about the plans for a “stabilisation force” in Gaza.
“The IDF are not going to withdraw completely until the stabilisation force goes in and even if things happened at lightning speed, that’s a couple of weeks at least, more likely a couple of months.
“And in that time, in that time, Hamas have still got their arms. The Israelis defence force are still there and they’re pretty trigger-happy. It would be very surprising to me if the situation did not involve quite a lot of ceasefire breakdowns in that time.”
He speculated on potential problems with the implementation of a stabilisation force.
“So if it were some of the Gulf states – the United Arab Emirates or Saudi forces – are they going to go in and suddenly find themselves working alongside the IDF to suppress groups of Hamas fighters who are trying to take potshots at them?” he said.
“I mean, nobody wants to be part of the stabilisation force in a very volatile situation.”
Clarke said Trump’s address to the Israeli Knesset on Monday could be pivotal.
“And one guess is that he’ll spell out in public in the Knesset what he expects to happen next,” he said.
“That might be a very uncomfortable thing for them to listen to. I mean, he’ll take all the plaudits, and if he’s sensible, then he’ll give them his demands.
“That’s what I’d be doing in his position anyway.”
Both Israel and Hamas will play on American obsession
In analysis that would appear to be at least partly confirmed by Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest comments (see 11.14 post), Clarke explained how both Israel and Hamas currently appeared unlikely to cede ground on their key demands that have previously been sticking points in peace negotiations.
“Netanyahu doesn’t want to go through the 20 points [of Trump’s peace plan], because those 20 points involve discussions on a two-state solution, which he’s ruled out for the last 20 years.
“And it seems that consensus within Hamas over the last 48 hours is they will keep their weapons, they will stay in Gaza, and the Americans will let them, because Trump will not want to see this deal unravel.
“And that’s the point. You know, Netanyahu will rule out the discussions on a two-state solution, because Trump will not see the deal unravel.
“And Hamas will hold on to their weapons and stay in Gaza, because Trump will not want to see the deal unravel.
“And they’ll both play on this, this American obsession with making sure this thing works so that they’ll get this ceasefire sorted out this weekend, the world will rightly give America the plaudits, and it won’t go very much further.
“That’s the expectation at the moment, unless something changes early next week.
“Trump’s speech in front of the Knesset on Monday will really be a very important moment to watch, to see what he says and how it is received, not just in Israel but in the rest of the Arab world.”
The Israeli prime minister is right now delivering an address as the ceasefire agreement has come into effect at 12pm local time (10am UK time) – see our post at 10.23am.
Netanyahu confirms now that Israel’s troops will remain in Gaza to keep up the pressure on Hamas until the group disarms.
Israel’s military is currently redeploying to the agreed initial withdrawal line within Gaza, as set out in the ceasefire agreement.
By remaining in the territory, Israel is “gripping Hamas from all sides in preparation for the next stages of the plan”, Netanyahu says, referencing the second phase of Donald Trump’s peace plan.
It requires Hamas to disarm and withdraw from the government in Gaza, which will also be demilitarised.
“If this is achieved the easy way – so be it; if not – it will be achieved the hard way,” Netanyahu says.
Meanwhile, Hamas has to return all the remaining Israeli hostages within 72 hours.
Netanyahu says in his address that all hostages will return in the coming days.
Reporting live on Sky News as the ceasefire agreement took effect, our international correspondent Alex Rossi analysed just now what this means for the implementation process.
“Things moving very rapidly here indeed,” Rossi observes.
Most notably, “the clock has started ticking” for Hamas to return the hostages – but there remain other open questions.
Watch Rossi’s full analysis below:
Not only has the Nobel Peace Prize panel opted against awarding the prize to Donald Trump, their statement announcing the winner also included comments that may be interpreted as a reference to the US president’s administration, which has been widely accused of increasing authoritarianism.
“At a time when democracy is under threat, it is more important than ever to defend this common ground,” Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman Jorgen Watne Frydnes said.
He added: “We live in a world where democracy is in retreat, where more and more authoritarian regimes are challenging norms and resorting to violence…
“When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognise courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist. Democracy depends on people who refuse to stay silent, who dare to step forward despite grave risk, and who remind us that freedom must never be taken for granted, but must always be defended with words, with courage and with determination.”
Asked about Trump’s repeated claims that he deserved the prize, Watne Frydnes said the committee received “thousands and thousands of letters every year of people wanting to say what for them leads to peace”.
“This committee sits in a room filled with the portraits of all laureates, and that room is filled with both courage and integrity,” he said.
“So we only base our decision on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel.”
‘Quintessential feature’
Trump’s administration has been accused of following an authoritarian playbook in the eight months since he returned to the White House, with the dismissal of career civil servants, the persecution of political opponents and attacks on the free press, universities and civil society organisations.
Lee Morgenbesser, associate professor at Griffith University’s School of Government and International Relations, said the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under Trump resembled those of secret police that are “a quintessential feature of authoritarian regimes”.
Israel’s military has announced in a statement coming through just now that the ceasefire agreement in Gaza went into effect at 12pm local time (10am UK time).
As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israeli troops in Gaza have been redeploying to the agreed initial withdrawal line after Israel’s cabinet approved the deal last night.
The ceasefire was supposed to take effect within 24 hours after that approval.
As per the agreement, Hamas has 72 hours to hand over all the remaining hostages, dead or alive, to Israel after the withdrawal has been completed.
This step is currently estimated to be completed on Sunday or Monday and will be followed by Israel releasing 1,950 Palestinian prisoners.
Separately, the Israeli Army Radio has reported just now that 11 Hamas prisoners will be released as part of the ceasefire agreement.
A military spokesperson has also warned it is “highly dangerous” to approach the Rafah crossing and Philadelphia Axis area in the south.
Earlier, Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defence force urged residents to stay away from IDF troops until they withdraw.
Israeli forces this morning began withdrawing from Gaza City and the Beach refugee camp towards the agreed-upon line, according to the Walla news organisation.
Israel’s Channel 12 also reported that the country’s 7th Brigade withdrew from the Gaza Strip this morning.
It added Israeli forces would be deployed at several checkpoints.
The Israeli army withdrew combat units from the Golani Brigade and other forces from the Gaza Strip.
However, Walla reported that airstrikes were “clearly visible” in several locations on the outskirts of Gaza City this morning, despite the fact the ceasefire is meant to come into effect within 24 hours of its ratification by the Israeli cabinet.
Residents speaking to Reuters wondered whether it is safe now.
“Why does no one come out and tell us whether there is a ceasefire and we can stop being afraid?” Ismail Zayda, in the Sheikh Radwan area in Gaza City, said.
Maria Corina Machado, a Venezuelan opposition leader, is the winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announces in Oslo just now.
Jørgen Watne Frydnes, the committee’s chair, lauds her as “a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amidst a growing darkness.”
Donald Trump had repeatedly made it clear he thinks he deserves the award, claiming most recently that he ended seven conflicts in as many months this year.
After the announcement of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, Argentina’s president Javier Milei and Malta’s foreign minister said they would nominate Trump for the award.
Benjamin Netanyahu also reiterated he believed Trump deserved the prize after he nominated him in July, following nominations by several other national leaders this year.
Nominations for this year’s prize already closed on 31 January, however.
Hamas’s exiled Gaza leader, Khalil al Hayya, has issued a statement following the signing of the ceasefire deal.
“We have reached an agreement to end the war against our people,” he said.
“We took on a great responsibility in dealing with the US president’s plan, and we presented a response that would fulfil the interests and rights of our people and save their blood.
“This response included our vision for stopping the war.”
He said Hamas negotiators travelled to Egypt “armed with responsibility and positivity”.
“This enabled us and the resistance to work together to reach an agreement that we can present to our people, our heroes.
“Today we are announcing that we have reached an agreement to end the war and aggression against our people and to implement a permanent ceasefire.
“This will involve the withdrawal of occupation forces, the entry of aid and the opening of the Rafah crossing in both directions and the exchange of prisoners.”
Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested he should be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, a belief that has been made stronger following the deal over Gaza.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee said yesterday that it had reached a decision about who would be named 2025 peace prize laureate on Monday, several days before the ceasefire was signed as part of the US president’s plan – and most observers have said they suspect he is unlikely to be awarded the prize.
The UK foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, was asked this morning if she believes he deserves one – but opted to repeatedly sidestep the question.
“I’m strongly supporting the work that President Trump is doing,” the foreign secretary told LBC.
“It’s an independent process. I’m not going to cut across that process.”
She also said there were discussions about the ceasefire coming in within 24 hours of the agreement by the Israeli cabinet and the return of hostages within 72 hours, but that the UK government hoped this would happen sooner.
For more on his chances today, see our 7am post.
European and Arab foreign ministers met in Paris yesterday afternoon to flesh out ideas on Gaza’s post-war transition, according to the Donald Trump plan.
Contributions to security, governance, reconstruction and humanitarian aid were discussed, according to Jean-Noel Barrot, France’s foreign minister.
Trump’s plan notably calls for an international stabilisation
force, which was also discussed.
Indonesia, Italy and Azerbaijan reportedly expressed interest in joining the force. France offered “to play a role”, while Paris and London started discussions at the UN on a possible mandate.
But Israel as a key player was absent and called the meeting “unnecessary and harmful”.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said this morning that “there’s no plan” to send troops immediately following the ceasefire.
The US made it clear that troops on the ground would be provided by neighbouring states, she added.
Meanwhile, Germany has pledged £25m in aid this morning and said it will host a reconstruction conference for Gaza with Egypt – see our post at 7.40am.
Our political correspondent Amanda Akass has this morning broken down how the UK and former PM Sir Tony Blair may be involved in Gaza’s transition…
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