CAIRO (AP) — On Sunday, Israel announced that it expected all living hostages held by Hamas in Gaza to be released on Monday as part of a significant ceasefire agreement reached after a prolonged two-year war. In connection with this agreement, Palestinians are also anticipating the release of hundreds of prisoners being held in Israel and a substantial influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza, which is currently suffering from dire shortages of food and medical supplies.
Israel's military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, expressed optimism in a statement, saying, “In a few hours, we will all be reunited.” U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Israel and Egypt on Monday to celebrate this ceasefire, which was announced the previous week. As Trump left for his trip, he declared to reporters, “The war is over,” and expressed confidence that the ceasefire would endure. He mentioned he would be “proud” to visit Gaza.
All 20 living hostages are expected to be released simultaneously to the Red Cross and transported to a military base where they will reunite with their families or be taken to a hospital if necessary. Following this release, Israel has committed to freeing around 2,000 Palestinian detainees, along with acknowledging the presence of 28 hostages believed to be deceased. To address the issue of the missing, an international task force is set to commence operations to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within a 72-hour period. U.S. Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the grim reality, stating, “The reality is, some of the hostages we may never get back.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu characterized Monday as a “path of healing,” amid ongoing criticism from many Israelis who accuse him of prolonging the war for political leverage—an accusation he has denied. Meanwhile, the timing for the release of Palestinian prisoners remains unclear; among those expected to be released are 250 individuals serving life sentences and approximately 1,700 others who were captured from Gaza during the conflict and held without charges. A Palestinian official confirmed that a Hamas delegation is currently in Cairo negotiating a list of prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti, a prominent Palestinian leader admired by many as a unifying figure.
The situation in Gaza is dire, with the United Nations reporting significant progress in delivering humanitarian aid. On Sunday, the UN announced that hundreds of thousands of hot meals and bread were distributed, and for the first time since March, cooking gas was allowed into the territory. Israel has approved the entry of 190,000 metric tons of aid, an increase from the previous 170,000, expecting the aid volume to reach around 600 trucks per day as per the ceasefire agreement.
Amidst the ongoing efforts for peace, Trump’s visit to Israel is highly anticipated, with plans for him to meet families of hostages and deliver a speech at the Knesset, Israel's parliament. Following his time in Israel, Trump will proceed to Egypt to co-chair a “peace summit” alongside various regional and international leaders. The unresolved matters surrounding Gaza’s governance and the future of Hamas, including its potential disarmament and the Israeli military's plans to destroy Hamas' tunnel network, continue to loom over the negotiations.
As the conflict enters a new phase, Palestinians have begun to return to areas previously cleared of Israeli forces. Satellite imagery confirmed a surge of vehicles headed towards Gaza City. Many returning residents, like Mohamed Samy, detailed scenes of complete destruction where their homes once stood. Despite the devastation, armed police forces in Gaza City began patrolling the streets to oversee the distribution of aid trucks in regions where the Israeli military had retreated.
The war ignited on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched an unexpected assault on southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals and the taking of 250 hostages. In retaliation, Israel's offensive has reportedly claimed more than 67,000 Palestinian lives, with the Gaza Health Ministry estimating that nearly half of these casualties are women and children. The prolonged conflict has led to the destruction of vast areas within Gaza and the displacement of about 90% of its two million residents. This situation has also triggered additional regional tensions and raised international concerns about possible human rights violations against the Palestinian population.
