Many unresolved questions remain as a ceasefire begins in Gaza

CAIRO (AP) — Bombardment stopped and Israeli troops pulled back in Gaza on Friday under a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. But will the agreement lead, as U.S. President Donald Trump proclaimed, to “a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace”?

It took pressure on Israel and Hamas from the United States, Arab countries and Turkey, each saying it was time to end a two-year war that has devastated the Gaza Strip, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, sparked other conflicts around the region and increasingly isolated Israel.

That push sealed an agreement on a first phase that is to free the remaining living Israeli hostages within days in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

But it left unanswered a long list of questions over what happens next.

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.

Israel wants to ensure that Hamas disarms. Hamas wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza and is not allowed to restart the war. At the same time, a postwar government for Gaza must be worked out to replace Hamas’ rule. Without that, reconstruction is unlikely, leaving Gaza’s more than 2 million people in continued misery.

With no trust between the sides, much relies on continued pressure from the U.S., Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. Any hitch in working out those intertwined issues could unravel everything and potentially lead to Israel resuming its campaign to destroy Hamas.

Here is what we know about the deal.

The ceasefire took effect at noon Friday. The Israeli military said it had pulled back its troops to lines inside Gaza agreed on for the first day, withdrawing from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gaza's far north and the wide strip along Gaza's border with Israel.

The military said Palestinians displaced to the south would be able to move back to their homes in the north. Thousands were filling roads heading north.

Israel has given the United Nations the green light by Israel to begin delivering scaled-up aid into Gaza starting Sunday, a U.N. official said. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.

By Monday, Hamas is to begin releasing the remaining 48 hostages, around 20 of them believed to be alive. Israel will release around 2,000 Palestinians, including several hundred serving prison sentences and others seized from Gaza during the war.

Negotiations for the next phases would then begin.

Hamas had long insisted it would not release its last hostages unless Israeli troops leave Gaza completely. After agreeing to free them first, Hamas says it is relying on guarantees from Trump that the full withdrawal will happen.

How long it will take — weeks, months, years — is unknown.

An initial 20-point plan issued by Trump last week called for Israel to maintain a narrow buffer zone within Gaza along their shared border, and Israel has also spoken of keeping hold of the Philadelphi corridor, a strip of land on Gaza’s border with Egypt.

Israel is unlikely to relinquish those areas unless Hamas disarms and the void left in running Gaza is filled by a body that Israel deems palatable.

Trump's plan also called for an Arab-led international security force to move into Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It said Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy.

It is not known whether that system will be followed or an alternative will be negotiated.

Hamas long refused to give up its weapons, saying it had a right to armed resistance until Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories ends.

For Israel, disarmament is a key demand. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said its campaign will not end until Hamas’ military capabilities are dismantled, including the network of tunnels built around the territory.

There are signs, however, that Hamas could agree to a “decommissioning” of its offensive weapons, handing them over to a joint Palestinian-Egyptian committee, according to the Arab officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Israel has said it wants Gaza purged of Hamas influence. But it has also rejected giving any role to the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority or any arrangement that could lead to the creation of a Palestinian state.

Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, has agreed to step down from governing the territory and hand over governance to a body of Palestinian technocrats.

What takes its place is uncertain.

Under Trump's plan, an international body will govern. The Council of Peace and Board of Peace have both been floated as names for the body.

It would hold most power while overseeing the administration of Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. It would also hold the commanding role of directing reconstruction in Gaza. Trump’s initial 20-point plan called for former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to lead the body.

Hamas has so far not agreed, saying Gaza’s government should be worked out among Palestinians.

Israelis celebrated the agreement announced overnight after three days of talks in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. For much of the Israeli public, freeing the last of the hostages held for two years has been their top priority.

But Palestinians in Gaza were more uncertain. There was relief that the relentless bombardment and ground offensives may stop for a time and aid may flow in. But there was also skepticism and worry over how long any pause in fighting would last, whether hundreds of thousands will be able to return to their homes, and whether Gaza — its cities largely in ruins — will ever be rebuilt.

Many Palestinians fear Israel will take any breakdown in the talks as a chance to resume its assault. For months, Netanyahu and his hard-line allies have insisted they will keep long-term direct security control over Gaza and have spoken of pushing out its Palestinian population, ostensibly on a “voluntary” basis. In Gaza, many believe that remains Israel’s objective.

Pressure from the U.S. and its allies — if it continues after hostages are out — could prevent Israel from relaunching a full-fledged war.

But there is another, murkier scenario.

If Hamas and Israel cannot reach a final deal or negotiations drag on inconclusively, Gaza could slide into an unstable limbo, with Israeli troops still holding parts of it and Hamas still active. In that case, Israel would be unlikely to allow significant reconstruction, leaving Gaza’s population languishing in tent camps or shelters.

Israeli soldiers stand near their tanks along the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, after Israel and Hamas have agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Displaced Palestinians walk along the coastal road near Wadi Gaza in the central Gaza Strip, moving toward northern Gaza, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, after Israel and Hamas have agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Displaced Palestinians walk along the coastal road near Wadi Gaza in the central Gaza Strip, moving toward northern Gaza, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, after Israel and Hamas have agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Should Sen. Markwayne Mullin be approved as the next secretary of Homeland Security, he will walk into the department's sprawling Washington, D.C., campus with his work cut out for him.

Immigration enforcement is at a crossroads. Disaster-hit states and their lawmakers are angry at delayed federal assistance. Frustrated travelers face long airport security lines due to a monthlong funding battle in Congress.

Mullin would take over from embattled outgoing secretary Kristi Noem, who entered office with President Donald Trump’s backing but whose social media-driven management style of the government’s third-largest department contributed to her downfall.

“We’ve got serious management problems at DHS, and we need somebody steering the ship,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., adding that he told the Oklahoma senator a full audit of the department is needed.

Mullin, a former mixed martial arts fighter, has earned a reputation as a combative presence in the Senate. After 13 years in Congress, he has the confidence of fellow lawmakers and is expected to follow the White House's policy priorities. His confirmation hearing is set for Wednesday.

A top challenge for Mullin would be taking over the administration's centerpiece policy of mass deportations, which has triggered a surge of immigrant arrests, sparked fear in communities and raised concerns about detention and enforcement tactics.

A year of high-profile operations resulted in high arrest numbers but also criticism that officers were too aggressive. The shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal officers sparked calls for reform at immigration enforcement agencies.

Approval of Trump’s immigration approach is down from when he started his second term, with most Americans saying Trump has “gone too far." The souring public mood could force Mullin to recalibrate how the agencies he would oversee implement the deportation push.

Since being nominated, Mullin has not publicly revealed his vision for running the department and has declined to answer questions.

He is likely to be a faithful ally to Trump in his new role. In the Senate, he has been less focused on legislation and more engaged as a de facto spokesman for the White House — talking to the president often and amplifying his messages in the hallways of the Capitol and behind closed doors.

He has been a strong supporter of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and the congressional funding approved last summer that super-charged immigration enforcement.

Following the shooting deaths of the U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, he backed law enforcement and blamed local leaders for rhetoric that he said had “emboldened” protesters.

John Sandweg, a former acting director at ICE during the Obama administration, said Mullin will need to balance pressures from different players inside the administration over how to conduct future enforcement operations — whether to ramp up deportations through arrest sweeps or keep enforcement more targeted on people who’ve committed crimes.

“He’s going to have to reconcile ... are we about numbers or about quality?” said Sandweg. “And I think he’ll face a lot of pressure to also deliver on numbers.”

Mullin is also walking into a battle with congressional Democrats demanding reforms at ICE, which has led to a monthlong lapse in funding for DHS.

Senate Democrats want changes to immigration enforcement before they approve more money. That includes a ban on masks worn by deportation officers, an end to roving patrols of officers looking for immigrants and a requirement that officers use warrants signed by a judge to enter a person's house. Republicans have held the line against those demands.

As the standoff has dragged on, thousands of Homeland Security staffers are being forced to work without pay, including airport security screeners. Some airports have started to see long security lines, raising concerns that screeners are calling out sick, taking on side jobs to make ends meet, struggling with fuel costs or leaving their jobs altogether.

In his new role, Mullin is expected to improve relationships with Congress, where Republicans treated Noem with skepticism. He is close to both House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

Republicans are hoping that switching out Noem for Mullin will serve as enough of a change to appease Democratic demands to fund the department.

“This is what the Democrats have been clamoring for. They wanted a new change and shake-up in the leadership, and it’s now happening," said Thune.

But Democrats have insisted on widespread changes.

“I like Markwayne personally, but I don’t think it’s a question of who is at the helm, it’s a question of law," said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.

Mullin will also inherit a Federal Emergency Management Agency mired in upheaval and uncertainty over the administration's attempts to shift disaster responsibility to states and Trump's threats to abolish the agency.

DHS under Noem drove a torrent of policies in the name of that objective, stalling funding, driving out staff and attracting lawsuits over just how much authority a homeland security secretary could exert over FEMA, which still lacks a permanent administrator.

Noem enacted a policy that she personally approve expenditures over $100,000, which critics said delayed billions in disaster recovery dollars. State emergency managers hope to see a quick repeal, along with the release of grant funding for preparedness and resilience, said Karen Langdon, a National Emergency Management Association spokesperson.

There are still over $2.2 billion in recovery and mitigation projects awaiting DHS approval as of Friday, according to official figures seen by The Associated Press.

The Trump-appointed FEMA Review Council, chaired by Noem, is months behind in releasing a highly anticipated recommendation report after the outgoing secretary clashed with other council members on how far to take the reforms.

Mullin's views on FEMA aren't entirely clear, but he has expressed skepticism of a federal disaster response in the past.

“It’s not FEMA that’s going to respond,” he told Fox Business shortly after Hurricane Helene in 2024. “It’s the local people that are going to respond, and we’re going to be fighting with FEMA to get reimbursed if they ever do reimburse.”

Lawmakers and states generally support reforms that would streamline disaster aid and ease bureaucratic burden, but state and local governments need dependable leadership and time to prepare for changes, said Sarah Labowitz, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

“What we want to see going forward is predictability,” Labowitz said. “There’s a lot of work to be done to re-earn trust.”

Associated Press reporters Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking and Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., speaks with reporters on the steps at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., speaks with reporters on the steps at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)