All 20 of the living hostages who remain in Gaza were released on Monday as part of the historic ceasefire deal brokered by President Donald Trump to put an end to the two-yearlong war that has left tens of thousands of people dead.
The deal also includes the return of the bodies of 28 deceased hostages to their families, although those remain in Gaza as of Monday and it is not clear if all will be returned. In exchange, 250 Palestinian prisoners who were previously sentenced to years in prison for crimes will be released, as well as another 1,700 Palestinian detainees who have been held in Gaza since the initial Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas.
The living hostages are believed to be all men in their 20s and 30s, as most women and children were previously released. One woman, Inbar Hayman, is believed to have died in Hamas captivity and would be one of the deceased returned to Israel.
The hostage release is part of Trump’s lengthy 20-point peace plan to end the war in Gaza, marking the deadliest conflict between Israel and the Hamas militant group.
Trump left Sunday to travel to the region ahead of the hostage release, telling reporters on Monday morning the war was over. When he arrived in Israel, he was greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and delivered remarks to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.
It is hoped the peace deal will mark the end of a war that began on Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, prompting a war that left tens of thousands dead.
Here’s a timeline of what we know so far:
Hostages released and prisoner swap
Thousands of Israelis watched as public screenings showed the hostages being released to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The 20 men were later reunited with their families in emotional reunions.
The first seven hostages to be released in the deal made their way into Israeli territory early Monday. Netanyahu’s office said the first seven were identified as Ohel Alon, Angrest Matan, Berman Gali, Berman Ziv, Gilboa-Dalal Guy, Mor Eitan and Miran Omri.
A short time later, the remaining 13 living hostages were transferred to the Red Cross. Netanyahu’s office confirmed them to be Yosef-Haim Ohana, Avinatan Or, Elkana Bohbot, Rom Braslavski, Evyatar David, Eitan Horn, Maxim Herkin, Nimrod Cohen, Segev Kalfon, Matan Zangauker, Bar Kupershtein and brothers Ariel and David Cunio.
Israeli officials said authorities would stay with the hostages and their families through the “reception and rehabilitation process.”
Tearful videos shared online show the hostages reuniting with friends and family. Some of the reunifications took place at hospitals where hostages were to receive treatment, ABC News reported.
Many of those who were released on Monday were taken from the Nova music festival on the day of the Oct. 7 attack.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, Palestinians celebrated the return of nearly 1,900 prisoners released by Israel.
Trump and Netanyahu celebrate ‘peace through strength’
Trump traveled to Israel to celebrate the successful deal his administration negotiated with Hamas and Israel. After landing in Tel Aviv early Monday, Trump met with the families of hostages and was set to deliver remarks to Israeli lawmakers.
Trump received a standing ovation from the Knesset and spoke for more than an hour about the peace deal. The president notably told Israel that it had done all it could do and should now be focused on peace in the region.
“Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change,” Trump said in a speech to the Israeli government on Monday. “Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms. Now, 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.”
Trump noted that Netanyahu’s legacy could have been remembered for “far more” for accepting the peace deal than if he continued on in the bombardment in Gaza. Trump said he told Netanyahu that the timing of the deal “is brilliant.”
Netanyahu appeared to honor that agreement, noting he was “committed to this peace.”
“Today, the Jewish calendar marks the end of two years of war,” Netanyahu said.
Trump also called on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu so the prime minister could avoid going to trial for charges, including bribery, breach of trust and fraud. Netanyahu is set to take the stand in the coming days.
Trump, while praising Netanyahu, also made note that he could “be a little big nicer” because he was no longer at war.
Trump was only in Israel for a matter of hours before departing for the international peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt. He invited Netanyahu, who said he was appreciative but could not participate “due to the proximity of the holiday.”
Summit and the region’s future
The summit in Egypt will be attended by leaders from more than 20 countries.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s office said the summit was planned to “end the war” in Gaza and bring peace and stability to the region.
No representatives from Israel or Hamas will be at the summit.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told The Associated Press that the success of Trump’s proposed peace plan depends on American engagement, “even deployment on the ground.”
Some details of the peace plan remain unanswered, including reconstruction of the war-torn Gaza Strip and the configuration of an international governing body expected to oversee the peaceful transition in the region.
Hammering out the details and solving major issues remaining in the region may not be feasible on Monday, as the summit is projected to only last about two hours.
Some of the biggest issues are disarming Hamas, figuring out the governing structure for Gaza, continued withdrawal by Israel, the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians and rebuilding in Gaza.
The summit will be hosted at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula and will be attended by many world leaders, including United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other administration officials were in Egypt for the summit.
After landing in Egypt, Trump greeted El-Sisi and said the second phase in the peace agreement “is starting now.”
“Gaza needs a lot of cleanup,” Trump said.
