All living Israeli hostages released by Hamas under the Gaza ceasefire agreement – National

All 20 remaining living hostages were taken Gaza And hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in occupation prisons Israel He was released on Monday as part of a ceasefire that halted two years of war that devastated the Gaza Strip and killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.

Hamas announced on Monday that it would release the bodies of four of the 28 deceased Israeli prisoners, though it was not immediately clear when the rest of the bodies would be returned to Israel. Israel says it has released more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

Speaking before Parliament, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu He declared that he was “committed to this peace,” raising hopes that the devastating war, which has sparked other conflicts in the Middle East and left dozens of prisoners in the hands of militants, might end. But key questions remain about when and how.

Cheering crowds greeted buses of prisoners in the West Bank, while families and friends of the hostages gathered in a square in Tel Aviv, Israel. He shouted with joy and relief With the arrival of news of the release of prisoners.

American President Donald Trump He flew to the area and He addressed his speech to the Knessetthe Israeli Parliament. He was later scheduled to head to Egypt to attend a summit to discuss the US-proposed deal and post-war plans with other leaders.

Speaking before Trump’s speech at the Knesset, Netanyahu pledged that he was “committed to this peace.”

He added: “Today, the Jewish calendar marks the end of two years of war.”

While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the hostage and prisoner exchange has raised hopes for an end to the bloodiest war ever between Israel and the militant group. The ceasefire is also expected to see an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza, parts of which are suffering from famine.

The war began when militants led by Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 251 hostages.

In the ensuing Israeli offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians were killed, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says about half of the dead were women and children. The ministry forms part of the Hamas-run government, and its figures are considered by the United Nations and many independent experts to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

The number of casualties is expected to rise as bodies are recovered from the rubble that were previously inaccessible due to the fighting.

The war destroyed large areas of Gaza and displaced about 90 percent of its population of about two million people. It has also sparked other conflicts in the region, sparked protests around the world and led to accusations of genocide, which Israel denies.

“Much of Gaza is barren land,” Tom Fletcher, the UN humanitarian coordinator, told the AP on Sunday.

Release hostages and prisoners

Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the hostage transfers in public displays across the country. In Tel Aviv, families and friends of the hostages erupted in loud cheers when television channels announced that the first group was in the hands of the Red Cross.

The freed hostages, all men, were later reunited with their families, and footage published by the Israeli authorities showed their tearful reunions.

The bodies of the remaining 28 hostages are also scheduled to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remains unclear.

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank rejoiced at the arrival of buses carrying dozens of prisoners liberated from Ofer prison to Beitunia near Ramallah, where Israel began releasing more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees within the framework of the ceasefire agreement.

Later, large crowds gathered to receive buses carrying other prisoners arriving at Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Yunis, south of Gaza.

Among the prisoners are 250 people serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 who were captured from Gaza during the war and held without charge. They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile.

Israel sent more than 150 prisoners to Egypt, and they arrived at Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt early Monday afternoon, according to an Egyptian official with direct knowledge of the deal’s implementation. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Meanwhile, the Hostage Family Forum, a grassroots organization representing many hostage families, said four bodies were expected to return to Israel on Monday. The group said it was “shocked and dismayed” that so few had returned.

Gal Hirsch, the Israeli coordinator for hostage and missing persons affairs, said that an international task force will work to locate the deceased hostages who will not be returned within 72 hours.

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A painful chapter

The return of the hostages concludes a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the attack that sparked the war, news broadcasts have marked their days in captivity, and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands joined their families in weekly demonstrations to demand their release.

As the war continued, demonstrators accused Netanyahu of dragging his feet to achieve political ends, even while accusing Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under intense international pressure and Israel’s increasing isolation, the bitter enemies agreed to a ceasefire.

Trump in Israel and Egypt

In his Knesset speech, Trump told Israeli lawmakers that their country has nothing more to achieve on the battlefield and must work for peace after two years of war against Hamas and conflicts with Hezbollah and Iran.

“These generations from now will be remembered as the moment when everything began to change,” he declared.

“Israel won by helping us with everything it could by force of arms,” Trump said. “Now is the time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.”

His speech was briefly interrupted when two MKs staged a protest and were subsequently escorted from the chamber. One of them held up a small sign that read, “Recognize Palestine.”

Despite Trump’s optimism, many thorny questions remain. Among the most difficult of these challenges is Israel’s insistence on disarming Hamas after weakening it. Hamas refuses to do so and wants to ensure that Israel withdraws its forces completely from Gaza.

So far, the Israeli army has withdrawn from most parts of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Yunis, and other areas. Forces are still deployed in most parts of the southern city of Rafah, the northernmost towns of Gaza, and the large strip along the Gaza border with Israel.

The future of governance in Gaza also remains unclear. Under the US plan, an international body will administer the region, supervising the Palestinian technocrats who manage day-to-day affairs. Hamas said that the Gaza government should be formed among the Palestinians.

Later Monday, Trump will head to Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will chair a summit with the leaders of more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh to attend the meeting.

The plan envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority under Abbas, something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a comprehensive reform program that could take years.

The plan also calls for the formation of an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. She added that Israeli forces will leave the areas as those forces deploy. There are currently about 200 American soldiers in Israel to monitor the ceasefire.

The plan also refers to the possibility of a future Palestinian state, which is another unacceptable matter for Netanyahu.