All 20 remaining hostages in Gaza and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody were freed Monday under a cease-fire that paused Israel's two-year genocidal Gaza war, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
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, cried out with joy and relief as news arrived that the captives were free.
Key world leaders, from U.S. President Donald Trump to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, were set to attend a summit in Egypt later Monday to secure a formal Gaza cease-fire and reconstruction deal.
Speaking to parliament, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared he was "committed to this peace," raising hopes that the ruinous war, which triggered other conflicts in the Middle East and had left scores of captives in Gaza, might come to an end. But fundamental questions remain over when and how.
Trump flew to the region and addressed the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. He later headed to Egypt for the Sharm el-Sheikh summit to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans with other leaders.
Speaking ahead of Trump's address in the Knesset, Netanyahu pledged that he was "committed to this peace."
He added: "Today, the Jewish calendar marks the end of two years of war."
While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the resistance group. The cease-fire is also expected to see a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine.
The war began when Hamas led a surprise incursion into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, causing 1,200 deaths and 251 people taken hostage.
In Israel’s ensuing genocide, more than 67,800 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
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% of its some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide against Israel.
"Much of Gaza is a wasteland," U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the AP on Sunday.
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.
The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear.
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank rejoiced as buses carrying dozens of released prisoners from Ofer Prison arrived in Beitunia, near Ramallah, as Israel began releasing more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees as part of the cease-fire deal.
Later, giant crowds were gathered to greet buses carrying other prisoners arriving at Nasser Hospital in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis.
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's Rafah crossing with Egypt early Monday afternoon, according to an Egyptian official, who had direct knowledge of the deal’s implementation. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
Meanwhile, the Hostages Family Forum, a grassroots organization representing many of the hostage families, said four bodies were expected to return to Israel on Monday. The group said it was "shocked and dismayed" that so few were coming back.
An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for the hostages and the missing.
As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes. Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the two sides agreed to the cease-fire.
In his Knesset speech, Trump told Israeli lawmakers their country had no more to achieve on the battlefield and must work toward peace after two years of war against Hamas and conflicts with Hezbollah and Iran.
"Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change," he declared.
"Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms," Trump said. "Now it is time to translate these victories ... on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East."
His speech was briefly interrupted when two members of the Knesset staged a protest and were subsequently removed from the chamber. One held up a small sign reading, "Recognize Palestine."
Earlier, Netanyahu hailed Trump as "the greatest friend" Israel ever had in White House, thanking the U.S. president for helping in the release of all Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Netanyahu was addressing the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, with Trump present, ahead of a Gaza peace summit in Egypt later Monday.
"Donald Trump is the greatest friend that the state of Israel has ever had in the White House. No American president has ever done more for Israel," he said, before Trump's address to lawmakers.
Netanyahu also praised Israel's soldiers, saying the country had "achieved amazing victories over Hamas."
He added Israel could pursue new "peace treaties" with Arab and Muslim countries in the Middle East and beyond.
Despite the optimism expressed by Trump, many thorny questions remain. Among the most difficult is Israel’s insistence that a weakened Hamas disarm. Hamas refuses to do that and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza.
So far, the Israeli military has withdrawn from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gaza’s far north, and the wide strip along the length of Gaza’s border with Israel.
The future governance of Gaza also remains unclear. Under the U.S. plan, an international body will govern the territory, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gaza’s government should be worked out among Palestinians.
Later Monday, Trump will head to Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead 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’s Sharm el-Sheikh resort town to attend the meeting.
The plan envisions an eventual role for Abbas' Palestinian Authority – 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 also 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 U.S. troops are now in Israel to monitor the cease-fire.
The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu.
