Ahmet Salih Alacaci
05 October 2025•Update: 06 October 2025
WASHINGTON
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that logistical issues are being discussed after Hamas agreed to the framework of President Donald Trump’s proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages and prisoners.
In a TV interview, Rubio said it was clear from a statement released by the Palestinian group on Friday that they “have agreed to the president’s hostage release framework.”
“What needs to happen now -- and they acknowledge in the letter and their response -- is there now needs to be meetings, which are occurring … and hopefully will be finalized very quickly, on the logistics of that,” Rubio said on broadcaster NBC News.
These discussions will focus on who will receive the hostages from Hamas and when and where they will be release, he said, adding that for this to happen, Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip must halt.
“You can't have bombs going off and fighting going on in the middle of this exchange,” said the top US diplomat.
Asked about Tel Aviv’s phased withdrawal from the Gaza Strip under the plan, Rubio said Israeli troops would fall back to where they “stood inside of Gaza in the middle of August … they’ve agreed to that piece.”
“I think ultimately, everyone has agreed, including Israel, that eventually, at some point here, as this process plays out, Gaza will be governed by a Palestinian technocratic group that’s not Hamas,” he said, adding that this administration would have “the assistance and the guidance of an international consortium.”
In a separate interview with Fox News, Rubio said work would begin on Gaza’s future governance and reconstruction after the hostages are released. “That’s where the international partners are going to be so critical, not just with personnel, but with money and resources to create a governance structure.”
“A lot of damage been done there (Gaza). That whole place has to be rebuilt. That's not going to happen in 72 hours or six weeks. That's going to take some time,” he added.
Rubio also pointed to the international support and contributions to the proposal, saying: “You have the United Arab Emirates, you have Qatar, you have Saudi Arabia, you have Türkiye, you have Egypt, you have Jordan, you have Indonesia, you have all these countries, the European countries, all lined up behind a plan.”
Trump unveiled his plan on Sept. 29, which calls for the release of Israeli captives, a cease-fire in Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and rebuilding of Gaza. Hamas agreed to the plan in principle on Friday, and further negotiations were due in Egypt.
Tel Aviv estimates that 48 Israeli captives remain in Gaza, including 20 alive. Israel, meanwhile, holds about 11,000 Palestinians in its prisons, many facing torture, hunger and medical neglect, according to rights groups.
Despite Trump’s call for an immediate halt to attacks, Israeli forces on Saturday killed at least 60 Palestinians, including a young girl, in continued assaults across the Gaza Strip, according to medics and local sources.
Since October 2023, Israeli bombardment has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians in Gaza, reducing much of the enclave to rubble.
