For the third day, no explosions have been heard in the Gaza Strip. Israel and Hamas are observing a ceasefire, which is expected to last until the hostage exchange begins.
Gaza Ceasefire: Hostage Exchange and Trump Visit Awaited
People have reappeared on the roads leading north. Families are returning to the destroyed neighborhoods of Gaza where the heaviest fighting recently took place. Many are walking, carrying children and a few belongings.
The Israeli side confirmed that it is ready to accept the first freed people – twenty are expected to cross the border on Monday morning. The bodies of twenty-eight of the dead will be handed over along with them.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas will release all remaining hostages taken on October 7, 2023. Israel will free hundreds of Palestinians, including no militant group leaders, but some convicted of participating in attacks.
Donald Trump will arrive in Israel that same day. He will address the Knesset, after which he will attend the Middle East summit in Egypt. The main topic of the meeting is finding a formula that could cement an end to the war.
A rally, drawing thousands of people, was held in Tel Aviv the day before. Trump advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff spoke from the stage. Participants demanded an expedited exchange and an end to hostilities.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Prison Service is transferring Palestinian prisoners pending their release. The government has published the names of 250 people who will be the first to be released.
In northern Gaza, where residents have begun to return, the scale of destruction has proven greater than expected. Homes have been leveled, and roads are littered with rubble. “We walked fifteen kilometers to get home,” says Rami Mohammad-Ali. “But home is gone.”
US President Donald Trump and Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will lead a peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday to seek an end to the Israel-Hamas conflict and promote stability in the Middle East.
