Gaza City. Hamas handed over the first seven of the 20 surviving Israeli hostages in Gaza to representatives of the International Red Cross on Monday. The incident has sparked jubilation in Tel Aviv. Hundreds of people gathered in Hostage Square to support the families of the hostages.
Under a ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump after two years of devastating war, Hamas has pledged to phase out the release of all remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.TAG_OPEN_div_48 Trump declared the war “over” and embarked on a regional tour to oversee the implementation of the agreement.
TAG_OPEN_div_46″According to the Red Cross, seven Israeli hostages have been taken into custody and are being transferred from the Gaza Strip to IDF and ISA forces,” the Israeli military and security services said in a joint statement. ’
There were emotional scenes in Tel Aviv after hearing the news that the hostages had been freed.TAG_OPEN_div_44 “I’m in a state of joy and pain — happy that some are back, but my heart aches for those who haven’t returned,” said Noga, one of those gathered in Hostage Square. ’
On October 7, TAG_OPEN_div_43 2023, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing 1,219 people, most of them civilians. On that day, Hamas took 251 Israelis hostage. Most of them were later freed, but 47 were still held hostage until the war began. Their families have long lived a life of pain and uncertainty.
The ceasefire has also brought some relief in Gaza, but the war has devastated large parts of the city.TAG_OPEN_div_41 “I was shaking when Sheikh Radwan returned,” 38-year-old Fatima Salem said as she returned to her ruined home in Gaza City. I was looking for places I had lost – nothing was the same. Even the neighbors’ houses were gone. Even in the midst of fatigue and fear, I felt that I had returned to my home. It’s just a ruin right now, but we’re going to put a tent here and wait for the reconstruction. ’
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has embarked on a tour of Israel and Egypt.TAG_OPEN_div_39 The purpose of his visit is to celebrate the success of his mediation role in brokering a ceasefire and hostage release agreement and to advance the forthcoming peace process. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “I think this ceasefire will last. People are tired of war — it’s a struggle that’s been going on for centuries, it’s time to come to an end. The war is over, right? Do you understand that?”
A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said all 20 surviving hostages were expected to be released by the Red Cross by Monday morning.TAG_OPEN_div_37 Israel will begin the release of about two thousand Palestinian prisoners once their safe transfer is confirmed.
Trump described the visit as a “historic moment” in the implementation of the 20-point peace plan unveiled in September.TAG_OPEN_div_35 “Everybody is very excited for this moment,” he said before departing Joint Base Andrews near Washington. ’
However, it is said that there are still disagreements over some of the final details of the agreement. According to two Hamas sources, the group had been asking for the names of seven senior Palestinian leaders to be included in the list of exchanges with Israel, which Israel rejected. However, sources have said that preparations have been completed for the handing over of all the surviving hostages. Israel does not expect the remains of all the hostages to be returned until Monday.
Under the agreement, Hamas will hand over the remaining 47 hostages and the remains of one Israeli soldier killed in the 2014 war.TAG_OPEN_div_31 Most of Israel’s 250 prisoners have been convicted of security-related crimes, while some 1,700 people were detained by Israeli forces in Gaza during the war.
After his visit to Israel, President Trump is scheduled to arrive in Egypt.TAG_OPEN_div_29 He and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will co-host a Gaza peace summit attended by more than 20 world leaders. The purpose of the conference is to end the Gaza war and strengthen efforts to establish lasting peace in the Middle East.
Under his proposed plan, Trump has said a new governing body for Gaza would be created “very soon” and that it would be supported by a multilateral agency led by the US.TAG_OPEN_div_27
At least TAG_OPEN_div_25 67,806 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which is considered credible by the United Nations. The figure does not distinguish the distinction between civilians and militants, but it is believed that more than half of the dead were women and children.
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