All 20 living hostages held by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel walked free Monday as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that decimated the Gaza Strip and killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Hamas said Monday it will hand over the bodies of four of 28 deceased captives, though it was not immediately clear when the rest would be released. Israel said it freed more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Speaking to parliament, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared he was 鈥榗ommitted to this peace,鈥� raising hopes that the ruinous war, which triggered other conflicts in the Middle East, might come to an end. But fundamental questions remain over when and how, whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza.
Cheering crowds greeted buses of released prisoners in the West Bank and Gaza, while families and friends of the hostages gathered in a square in Tel Aviv, Israel and cried out with joy and relief as news arrived that the captives were free.
US president Donald Trump flew to the region and addressed the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. He later went to Egypt for a summit to discuss the US-proposed deal and post-war plans with other leaders.
Speaking ahead of Trump鈥檚 address in the Knesset, Netanyahu pledged he was 鈥榗ommitted to this peace鈥� and noted that on the Jewish calendar 鈥榯oday marks the end of two years of war.鈥�
In his Knesset speech, Trump told Israeli lawmakers their country must work toward peace after the war against Hamas and conflicts with Hezbollah and Iran.
鈥業srael, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms,鈥� Trump said. 鈥楴ow it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 address was briefly interrupted as two left-wing lawmakers were expelled, says Agence France-Presse.
鈥楾hat was very efficient,鈥� Trump quipped as the MPs were swiftly removed.
The US president had paused as a Knesset staff member audibly ordered the expulsion of lawmaker Ofer Cassif following an apparent protest.
During the session, in which Trump was otherwise warmly received and given multiple standing ovations, Cassif had brandished a sign.
A photo in his post showed a piece of paper emblazoned: 鈥楻ecognise Palestine!鈥�
鈥楾his is the banner I waved in front of Trump at the Knesset and was subsequently removed from the plenum,鈥� Cassif posted.
Another leftist, Ayman Odeh, leader of Cassif鈥檚 Hadash alliance, was also seen brandishing a page of paper and being removed.
Trump told the Israeli parliament that Netanyahu, who is on trial in three separate corruption cases, should be pardoned.
Netanyahu and his wife Sara are accused in one case of accepting more than $2,60,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewellery and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favours.
While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war between Israel and the militant group. The ceasefire deal calls for a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine.
The conflict began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostage.
In Israel鈥檚 retaliatory offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza鈥檚 health ministry, which doesn鈥檛 differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the UN and many independent experts consider its figures the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.
The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting.
The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90 per cent of its some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.
Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the hostage transfers at public screenings across the country. In Tel Aviv, families and friends of the hostages broke into wild cheers as 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 released by Israeli authorities showed tearful reunions.
When Bar Kupershtein was reunited with his family, his father, Tal, who has spent years in a wheelchair after a catastrophic car accident and stroke, fulfilled a promise he had made to himself and stood up for a few minutes to embrace his freed son.
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank rejoiced as buses carrying dozens of released prisoners from Ofer Prison arrived in Beitunia, near Ramallah.
The prisoners include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile.
More than 150 prisoners were sent to Egypt by Israel and arrived at Gaza鈥檚 Rafah crossing with Egypt early Monday afternoon, according to an Egyptian official, who had direct knowledge of the deal鈥檚 implementation.
The future governance of Gaza also remains unclear. Under the US plan, an international body will govern the territory, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gaza鈥檚 government should be worked out among Palestinians.
In Egypt, president Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi and Trump were heading a summit with leaders from more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Egypt鈥檚 Sharm el-Sheikh resort town to attend the meeting.
The plan envisions an eventual role for Abbas鈥� Palestinian Authority 鈥� something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping reform program that could take years.
The plan calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It said Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 US troops are now in Israel to monitor the ceasefire.
The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu.
