The first seven of twenty surviving Israeli hostages were freed from Gaza on Monday as part of a landmark ceasefire and exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas, coinciding with the arrival of US President Donald Trump in Israel for a regional peace mission.
The hostages were handed over to Red Cross representatives in Gaza City, the Israeli military confirmed, in the first phase of a deal that also includes the exchange of Palestinian prisoners. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum released the names shortly after Trump’s arrival in Tel Aviv.
Those freed were identified as Guy Gilboa Dalal, Eitan Mor, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Gali and Ziv Berman, and Omri Miran. Their release sparked emotional scenes in Tel Aviv, where thousands gathered to celebrate and await further news.
According to Israeli officials, all 20 living hostages are expected to be released to the Red Cross by midday Monday (0900 GMT), in line with the terms of the ceasefire plan proposed by Trump. The Israeli government said it will begin releasing prisoners once confirmation is received that all Israeli captives have crossed the border into Israel.
“Our struggle is not over,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. “It will not end until the last hostage is located and returned for proper burial.”
Ceasefire and Exchange Deal
Under the terms of the agreement, both sides have committed to an exchange of hostages and prisoners.
The deal includes the release of 47 Israeli hostages — both living and deceased — in return for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 Gazans detained since the onset of the 2023 conflict.
Hamas is also expected to hand over the remains of a soldier killed in the 2014 Gaza war. The group’s armed wing released a list of 20 names on Monday morning before transferring the first group to the Red Cross.
Trump’s Middle East Peace Mission
President Trump landed at Ben Gurion Airport aboard Air Force One, where he was received by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.
The visit marks the beginning of a multi-country trip that will also take the US leader to Egypt, where he and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are set to co-host a Gaza peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh.
According to Egypt’s presidency, the summit — attended by more than 20 world leaders — aims to “end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance regional peace efforts, and establish a new era of stability in the Middle East.”
Among expected attendees are UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The European Union, Arab League, and several Asian nations including India, Pakistan, and Indonesia are also represented.
While both Israel and Hamas confirmed they will not send delegates, US, Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators are expected to sign a “guarantee document” to formalize the ceasefire terms.
Hamas Signals Post-War Shift
A senior Hamas source told AFP that the group would not participate in governing post-war Gaza, though it “remains a fundamental part of the Palestinian fabric.”
The source added that Hamas has agreed to a long-term truce and to refrain from using weapons “except in the event of an Israeli attack on Gaza.”
However, other officials emphasized that full disarmament remains off the table.
Aid Flowing into Gaza
Meanwhile, more than 200 aid trucks, including six carrying diesel and five with cooking gas, crossed from Egypt into Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing on Sunday.
According to Gaza’s civil defense agency, over 500,000 displaced Palestinians have begun returning to Gaza City following the ceasefire’s implementation.
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