What's next for Israel-Hamas truce with hostage and prisoner release underway

As Israeli hostages are freed and Palestinian prisoners and detainees released — and after President Donald Trump's lengthy address to Israel’s parliament on Monday — focus is shifting to what comes next.

As Israeli hostages are freed and Palestinian prisoners and detainees released — and after President Donald Trump's lengthy address to Israel’s parliament on Monday — focus is shifting to what comes next.

Some of the longest applause for Trump's speech came when he said that virtually the whole region had endorsed a plan for Gaza to be demilitarized and Hamas to disarm — key elements of his 20-point plan that have yet to actually be agreed upon.

Now that phase one of his plan is being executed, negotiators and neighboring countries will watch whether key points of Trump’s proposal will be accepted by both Israel and Hamas in talks on the next phases.

International Red Cross vehicles transport the second batch of released Israeli hostages from Deir al Balah in central Gaza on Monday. Bashar Taleb / AFP via Getty ImagesLast few daysA ceasefire came into effect in Gaza on Friday at noon local time, (5 a.m. ET), after the first phase of Trump's plan was agreed by Israel and Hamas, bringing relative calm to the enclave for the first time in months since the last truce collapsed in March.

Under the first phase of Trump's plan, 20 living hostages were handed over to Israel on Monday. The remains of a further 28 hostages held by Hamas were expected to be released within 72 hours, although only four were initially, much to the disappointment of families.