Gaza - Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
Israeli forces began implementing the first phase of their withdrawal from the Gaza Strip on Friday, in line with US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war. This plan stipulates an immediate ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages and the entry of humanitarian aid.
According to a document published by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, the war will end immediately upon approval by the Israeli government, and the army will suspend all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment and targeting operations.
The entry of humanitarian aid and relief will also begin in full, as specified in the proposal and consistent at least with the January 19 agreement. According to the Brussels-based Euronews website, under the title “Initial Withdrawal: Implementation to Begin Within 24 Hours,” the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that the army will complete its withdrawal to the agreed-upon positions within “24 hours” of government approval. The document indicates that these positions correspond to the area shaded in “yellow” on a map released by Trump on October 4, which his officials later called the “yellow line.” According to media reports, this area covers approximately “155 square kilometers” (60 square miles), meaning that “210 square kilometers” (81 square miles), or “58% of Gaza’s area,” will remain under Israeli control after this phase is completed.
For her part, Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian indicated that the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) will retain control of “approximately 53%” of the Strip, an estimate consistent with independent analysis.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the army “will not return to the areas from which it withdrew” as long as Hamas remains in control. The agreement will be fully implemented.
Israeli Military Presence After the Withdrawal: Where Will the Army Remain?
Despite the start of the withdrawal, Israeli forces will continue to be deployed in vital areas that have witnessed military advances over the past months, including:
- Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun in the north
- Parts of the Shuja'iyya, al-Tuffah, and al-Zeitoun neighborhoods in Gaza City
- More than half of the Khan Yunis Governorate
- Nearly the entire Rafah Governorate
Israel will also continue to control "all border crossings," including the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
In the southern Gaza Strip, the BBC's analysis indicates that the withdrawal borders follow military divisions in place since earlier this year, most notably:
- The Morag Corridor, separating Rafah and Khan Yunis
- The Magen Oz Axis, which cuts across Khan Yunis from east to west
This means that the withdrawal in the south will be "very limited," as these corridors already represent the current lines of control.
In central Gaza, the army will retain about "a third of the corridor" Netzarim” — the road Israel built in early 2024 to separate the north from the south — in addition to “most of the eastern neighborhood of Shuja’iyya.”
The Three-Phase Plan: From the Yellow Line to the Buffer Zone
The plan announced by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 29 — and developed without Palestinian participation — provides for a gradual withdrawal in three stages, each marked by a color in the attached map:
- Phase One (yellow line): An immediate ceasefire, and the army withdraws to the agreed-upon positions, in exchange for Hamas releasing all remaining hostages, alive or dead.
- Phase Two (red line): Deployment of an “International Stabilization Force” (ISF) to monitor security, while the Israeli army withdraws further, reducing its direct presence in Gaza.
- Phase Three (security buffer zone): Final withdrawal to a defined border area, with governance responsibilities transferred to an international administrative body during a transitional period.
Procedures After the Initial Withdrawal
Once the army’s withdrawal is complete, Hamas will begin investigating the hostages’ situation and gathering information about them, with the Its results will be presented through an agreed-upon information exchange mechanism. In return, Israel will provide information on Palestinian prisoners and detainees from the Gaza Strip.
Hamas is scheduled to release "approximately 20 living hostages" by Sunday or Monday, in addition to "the bodies of approximately 25 others." In return, Israel will release "approximately 2,000 Palestinians" held in its prisons.
Extensive Field Movements on the Ground
The Hebrew website Walla reported on Friday, citing Israeli military sources, that forces "have actually begun withdrawing from Gaza City and the Shati refugee camp" toward the locations designated in the first phase.
The sources noted that the process is "complicated and sensitive," and that the army "does not want to risk" the lives of its soldiers.
They indicated that forces will be deployed at "specific control points" to ensure their protection, explaining that the army "carried out shooting on Friday morning" after detecting suspicious movement, as a precautionary measure.
The sources also confirmed that the army "reduced the number of forces participating" in the operations and began withdrawing major combat units, including "units from the brigade." Golani. For its part, Israeli Army Radio reported that the units "will soon complete the withdrawal to the agreed-upon line." The army announced on Thursday that it had "begun operational preparations" for implementing the agreement and was working to develop a "combat protocol for moving to modified deployment lines," stressing that it "remains deployed in the Gaza Strip at the moment."