More than 150 freed Palestinian prisoners deported to Egypt
All of the remaining living hostages have been freed from Hamas captivity; however, the bodies of those presumed dead are still in Gaza
US President Donald Trump has finished his speech at the Israeli parliament, where he has met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The first stage of the long-awaited hostage swap between Hamas and Israel has been finished. All of the remaining living hostages in Gaza have been freed from Hamas captivity and are back in Israel after two years of war. The remains of the deceased captives are expected to be returned in separate batches this afternoon, according to the Red Cross.
Meanwhile, some of the vans carrying Palestinian prisoners who have been released from Israeli prisons arrived a short while ago in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Under an agreement brokered by Trump, Israel is releasing about 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and more than 1,700 who were detained since the beginning of the Gaza war in 2023, including all women and minors.
Israel will also allow humanitarian aid into the enclave to ease severe food shortages.
The 20-point ceasefire plan unveiled by Trump in late September also calls for a phased full Israeli pullout from Gaza, disarming of Hamas, and the creation of a transitional international administration. It envisions Gaza as a “deradicalized terror-free zone” with Hamas barred from governance.
The war between Israel and Hamas began October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and seizing around 250 hostages. Israel’s operation in response has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and triggered a humanitarian crisis in the enclave, prompting the UN to accuse West Jerusalem of genocide.
Global leaders welcomed Trump’s plan and called for rapid implementation, urging both sides to comply with the humanitarian provisions.
