Frontlines: The clock is running

NewsNation National Correspondent Robert Sherman has found himself on the frontlines of some of the world's biggest stories: from Ukraine to Israel and across the U.S. He shares what he's seeing on the ground.

Frontlines: The clock is running

Good morning from Tel Aviv.

We're about 60 days away from the release of my book, "Lessons From the Front." I'm overwhelmed by the surge we've seen this week with so much news coming out of the Middle East, and I humbly thank you for that. For those still interested in preordering, you can do so through Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Bloomsbury.

There is certainly a buzz here in the Middle East that we have not felt in quite a while. People here finally believe all the hostages are coming home and that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, weighing on everyone's mind is the possibility that all this falls apart — as it has many times in the past —but for now, it's full speed ahead.

The Israeli government officially greenlit Phase 1 of an agreement to exchange hostages for prisoners.

Latest developments: Gaza ceasefire has taken effect, Israeli military says >

Special envoy Steve Witkoff said today the Israeli Defense Forces' initial withdrawal was complete, and the 72-hour clock for the exchange is now running.

There are some unbelievable images coming out of Gaza this morning, showing Palestinians by the thousands walking north along the Mediterranean coast, returning to their homes. It's remarkable to see.

In case you missed it, we were inside Gaza this week, where countless Palestinians told us they were fed up with Hamas and the war and wanted the fighting to end. Of course, not everyone there feels that way, but it's rare to see such outspoken opposition to the group.

Here is my firsthand account.

So, the initial cogs are turning as people continue to celebrate, heading into Shabbat.

There is, however, a lurking question on many people's minds that is dominating passing conversations: Does this deal make it all the way to Phase 2?

President Donald Trump seems to think so, but he hasn't shared much in the way of details regarding how.

"[Hamas] will be disarming," he told reporters Thursday. "There will be pullbacks, there will be a lot of things happening."

Connecting the dots between Phase 1 and Phase 2 will be tricky in order to turn this into a lasting peace. The demilitarization of Hamas? De-radicalization in Gaza? Governance? Negotiators have publicly said they don't have any of that figured out.

Watch: Young Gazan says, 'I hate Hamas so much' >

The hope is that progress will be made on those conversations when Trump visits the region in the coming days, along with other key diplomats.

Witkoff and the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who both played key roles in brokering the ceasefire deal, are already here in Israel.

Trump said it's likely that on Monday or Tuesday, the hostages will come out of Gaza. It's been a painful two years for many, and hostage families have described it as an "emotional roller coaster."

However, 72 hours is a long time for something to go wrong. We're in the first quarter, and there's still a lot of time left on the clock.