Palestinian group Hamas handed over seven Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza on Monday, an official involved in the operation said, under the first phase of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, which was set to release hundreds of Palestinians from its jails in exchange.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office published on Monday the lists of Palestinian prisoners to be released under the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
The office published the names of 1,718 Palestinian prisoners, and 250 serving life sentences, to be released in exchange for the Israeli hostages.
The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, the biggest step yet toward ending two years of war, aims to pave the way for a lasting peace under a 20-point plan by U.S. President Donald Trump, who was due to land in Israel soon after the release.
The key exchange followed a breakthrough ceasefire after two years of war. U.S. President Donald Trump was also arriving in the region along with other leaders to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans.
Egypt will award U.S. President Donald Trump the country’s highest civilian honor, the office of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said.
Trump will be given The Order of the Nile for his efforts to stop the war in Gaza, according to a statement from the Egyptian leader’s office.
The award will recognize Trump’s "distinguished contributions to supporting peace efforts, defusing conflicts, and most recently, his pivotal role in ending the war in Gaza,” it added.
The ICRC expected to oversee the releases, which will include nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s office said he will award U.S. President Donald Trump Israel’s highest civilian honor, the "Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor,” for his efforts to bring the hostages home.
The award also recognizes Trump’s "unique contribution to Israel’s security and the well-being of its citizens, and his commitment to leading the entire region toward an era of peace and cooperation.”
Herzog will inform Trump on Monday and present the medal in the coming months "at a time and place to be determined.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also arrived in Egypt to attended a summit co-hosted by the leaders of Egypt and the United States to mark the ceasefire in Gaza.
Starmer said in a Facebook post that Britain is ready to support the reconstruction of Gaza and "we will work with partners to secure a stable future for the region.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will participate in the summit in Egypt on Monday.
Mahmoud al-Habbash, a judge and adviser to Abbas, told The Associated Press that the leader would travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Monday to attend the peace summit.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency says the country’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told a Cabinet meeting on Sunday that Egypt had formally invited Iran’s president to attend the gathering of world leaders in the Arab country on Monday.
Araghchi said the Tehran declined the invitation, which Egypt then renewed. It wasn't immediately clear if Iran responded to that second invitation.
