GAZA/TEL AVIV/SHARM EL-SHEIKH:
In a landmark development marking the first phase of a US-brokered peace plan to end the two-year Gaza war, Hamas on Monday released all surviving Israeli hostages while Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Emotional reunions unfolded across Israel as families embraced their loved ones after years of anguish. In Gaza and the West Bank, jubilant crowds waving Palestinian flags welcomed those returning from Israeli prisons aboard buses.
US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel just minutes after the first hostages were reunited with their families. Addressing the Knesset, he proclaimed “a historic dawn in a new Middle East,” according to the BBC. He later flew to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for a summit with over 20 world leaders to discuss the next phases of the Gaza peace plan.
At the summit, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States signed a declaration as guarantors of the ceasefire deal intended to end the devastating conflict that has left Gaza in ruins.
“I am overwhelmed with emotion and joy,” said Arbel Yehoud, who was reunited with her partner, Ariel Cunio, after his release. “For over two years, the hope of holding Ariel again is what kept me going.”
The Israeli military confirmed it would conduct forensic examinations to identify the remains of deceased hostages returned by Hamas. Officials believe the remains of up to 24 hostages are still in Gaza. Israeli media reported that the ceasefire agreement acknowledges that Hamas and other Palestinian factions may be unable to locate all remains within the designated timeframe.
Among those freed by Israel were about 1,700 Palestinians held without charge, as well as around 250 serving life sentences. Of these, roughly 100 were released into the occupied West Bank, while others were deported or freed in East Jerusalem.
A Palestinian woman, reunited with her son, said her “heart was finally at peace,” while another man told reporters, “The happiness is beyond words — despite all the suffering, today we celebrate.”
Trump, the first US president to address Israel’s parliament since 2008, received a warm welcome from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “At last, for both Israelis and Palestinians, the long and painful nightmare is finally over,” Trump said to loud applause, with some lawmakers chanting his name.
The session was briefly interrupted when an opposition member held up a sign reading “Recognise Palestine.”
At the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, Trump met with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and leaders from across the Muslim and Arab world. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was also in attendance and is expected to play a leading role in a proposed “Board of Peace for Gaza,” chaired by Trump.
Under the peace plan, Gaza will initially be administered by a temporary committee of Palestinian technocrats under the Board of Peace, before eventual transfer of authority to a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA).
Key sticking points remain — including the timeline for Israeli troop withdrawal, Hamas disarmament, and the future governance of Gaza.
When asked about the start of phase two of the peace process, Trump replied, “It’s started. The phases are all a little mixed together.”
The war began after Hamas-led militants launched a deadly assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. The ensuing Israeli offensive has since killed more than 67,000 people, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
