The Latest: Hamas releases all 20 living hostages under Gaza ceasefire deal
By The Associated Press
Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages on Monday as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians.
The releases came as President Donald Trump was in Israel to celebrate the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, an agreement that he declared had effectively ended the war and opened the door to building a durable peace in the Middle East.
Under the deal, Israel will release over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and allow food and aid supplies into Gaza.
Here’s the latest:
Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel arrive in West Bank and Gaza
Israel is freeing more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees on Monday after Hamas released all remaining living hostages held in Gaza under the ceasefire deal.
The buses arrived in Ramallah, in the Israel-occupied West Bank, after leaving Ofer prison. At least one bus also crossed into the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Prisoners Office said.
Egypt says Trump engagement crucial for Gaza ceasefire
Egypt’s foreign minister tells The Associated Press that the success of President Donald Trump’s vision for peace in the region is his continued commitment, including applying pressure on the parties, and “even deployment on the ground” of an international force expected to carry out peacekeeping duties.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Monday it is crucial to ensure that Israel and Hamas fully implement the first phase of the ceasefire deal so that the parties, with international backing, can begin negotiations on the second phase. That “is more difficult, more complicated and we have to keep President Trump engaging. It is very, very important because it is all about his engagement.”
Hamas welcomes Trump’s remarks that the war in Gaza is over
A Hamas spokesman has welcomed Trump’s remarks that the war in Gaza is over.
Writing on the Telegram messaging app, Hazem Kassem urged mediators and the international community to ensure that Israel won’t resume the war.
Trump plans to hail a ‘historic dawn of a new Middle East’
According to excerpts released by the White House, Trump will use his speech to the Knesset to say that, “After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today, the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace.”
“This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East,” Trump’s prepared remarks say.
The president frequently diverts from his speech text as written. But his speech to the Israeli parliament is clearly meant to suggest that the ceasefire his administration helped broker could spark a deeper, lasting peace around a volatile region.
Netanyahu will attend the Gaza summit in Egypt
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attending the Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Egyptian presidency says.
According to Egypt, both Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are attending the summit in the Red Sea resort on Monday.
The summit is co-chaired by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and U.S. President Donald Trump and will be attended by over two dozen world leaders.
Netanyahu’s attendance comes as Trump is attempting to solidify the end of the war between Israel and Hamas. Trump has repeatedly suggested since leaving for Israel on Sunday night that the war is over. But the U.S.-brokered ceasefire could still face challenges.
Israel takes custody of 13 hostages
The Israeli military said it received the 13 hostages from the Red Cross.
The 13 will be transferred to a military base in southern Israel to be reunited with their families. They’ll then be taken by helicopter to Israeli hospitals.
Hamas releases 13 remaining living hostages to Red Cross officials, Israeli military says
Hamas released 13 remaining living hostages to Red Cross officials on Monday, the Israeli military said.
The Israeli military will take custody of the hostages and transport them onward to Israel.
Trump again says Israel’s war with Hamas is over
In the Knesset gallery, where Trump was set to speak, quite a few people in the gallery were wearing red hats that said: “Trump, The Peace President.” At least one person on the parliament’s floor wore such a hat.
Trump spoke briefly to the Israel press before beginning his remarks to the Knesset. Asked if Israeli’s war with Hamas was officially over, he said simply, “Yes.”
The president made similar comments on Air Force One as he was flying to Israel — despite the ceasefire deal still being in the early stages and potentially precarious.
Final preparations underway in Egypt for gathering of world leaders
Final preparations are underway in Egypt’s Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh for a gathering of world leaders to show their support for efforts to end the two-year Gaza war.
Trump and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi are co-chairing the “summit for peace” on Monday. They will be joined by several world leaders who are throwing their weight behind the ceasefire agreement.
The summit will give international backing to negotiations on complex issues ahead: disarming Hamas, a postwar government in Gaza, Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and a bill for reconstruction.
Trump signs Knesset guestbook with a flourish
The president was welcomed at the Israeli parliament by its speaker, Amir Ohana, who said, “Welcome to Jerusalem. Welcome to the Knesset. We’ve been longing for this day.”
“It’s a great honor,” Trump responded. He then sat at a desk to sign the guestbook with a marker.
The president spent several seconds scribbling, then held up what he wrote. It read: “This is my great honor. A great and beautiful day. A new beginning,” over his scrawled signature.
Trump envoy says he’s thinking of his deceased son as hostages are released
Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration special envoy who played a key role in brokering the ceasefire agreement, says he’s thinking of his adult son, Andrew, who died of an opioid overdose in 2011.
“It’s deeply gratifying to know that so many families will finally have their loved ones home,” Witkoff posted on X of the hostages being released.
“Today, 20 families are spared the unbearable pain of not knowing if they will ever see their loved ones again.”
He added that “even in this moment of relief and happiness, my heart aches for those whose loved ones will not return alive. Bringing their bodies home is a must and an act of dignity and honors their memory forever. I can’t help but feel the presence of my son Andrew at this moment.”
Armored vehicle fires tear gas and rubber bullets at Palestinians waiting for release of prisoners
An armored vehicle flying an Israeli flag drove up the hill from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank and fired tear gas and rubber bullets at Palestinians waiting for the release of some of the 250 prisoners slated for exchange on Monday.
As drones buzzed overhead, the crowd scattered. The tear gas followed the circulation of a flier warning that anyone supporting what it called “terrorist organizations” risked arrest.
Israel’s military did not respond to questions about the flier, which the Associated Press obtained on site.
EU chief von der Leyen celebrates release of hostages
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen celebrated the release of hostages by Hamas and their return to Israel on Monday as a moment of “pure joy for those families” and “relief for the entire world,” she said in a statement.
“It means that a page can be turned. A new chapter can begin,” Von der Leyen said. “The finalisation of the agreement ending the war today in Sharm el-Sheikh will be a historical milestone.”
She said the 27-nation European Union was ready to support peace efforts by the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey as well as reconstruction in Gaza, especially in “support on governance and for the reform of the Palestinian Authority,” she said.
Israel releases first photos of hostages arriving in Israel
Israel released the first photos of the hostages arriving in Israel and meeting Israeli troops.
From initial photos, the hostages appear less gaunt and emaciated than the hostages released in January. Family members and friends watching the releases erupted in cheers and embraced each other, breaking out in sobs at the first photo of their loved ones.
In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, where tens of thousands gathered to watch the releases, a joyful roar erupted from the crowd as the first images of the hostages flashed on the screen.
The Government Press Office released a photo of Gali and Ziv Berman, 28-year-old twins from Kfar Aza, reuniting with each other with expressions of disbelief. According to hostages previously released, the twins were held separately from each other.
Many Israelis see release of hostages as definitive end to war
Many Israelis see the release of all the hostages as a definitive end to the war and a chance to celebrate life.
“I think what you are seeing here, the people that are celebrating in the square, something for me that is very Israeli, to see so many people gathering around to celebrate not the death of our enemies but the life of our people, of Israeli people,” said Gili Roman.
His sister Yarden Roman-Gat was freed from Gaza during the first ceasefire in November 2023 but his sister-in-law Carmel Gat was killed in captivity last year.
Roman said it’s important for people around the world not to define Israel just by the army that’s been fighting in Gaza, but as a country of people who just want to live.
“Israel is when we’re celebrating people coming back alive and that the war is over,” he said.
Hostage forum invites Trump to come to Hostages Square
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a grassroots organization that has led the protest movement to release the hostages held in Gaza, invited Trump to come to Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square as he was landing in Israel.
“President Trump, Hostages Square and hundreds of thousands of people are prepared and ready to welcome you with open arms,” the group said in a statement.
Trump making such an appearance is difficult to imagine.
There are security concerns wherever the president goes and Trump’s trip will take him to Israel and Egypt before returning to Washington without staying overnight, making for a very tight, and tightly controlled, schedule.
Still, the invitation was noteworthy, marking the group’s excitement around the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement.
Trump, Netanyahu share limo ride
Netanyahu climbed into the presidential vehicle beside Trump before the motorcade rolled away from the airport.
Trump could be seen with his arm against the limo’s window, and appeared to have a piece of paper in his hand, shortly before the line of vehicles sped away.
Trump was planning to meet with hostage families at the Knesset, or Israel’s parliament, which Trump was also set to address.
Trump greeted on the tarmac
The president emerged from the plane, pumped his fist and carefully walked down the stairs of Air Force One wearing a suit and red tie.
The military band began to play as Trump was greeted by Herzog and then Netanyahu.
There was cheering and clapping in Hostages Square as Trump was seen coming down the steps.
Trump exchanged kisses with his daughter, Ivanka, then lingered speaking to U.S. and Israeli officials, though what exactly was being said couldn’t be heard.
UN says boost in humanitarian aid to Gaza is underway
The top U.N. humanitarian official says that a scale-up of humanitarian aid to Gaza is underway.
Tom Feltcher said Monday that the U.N. and its partners distributed hundreds of thousands of hot meals and bread bundles in southern and northern Gaza. He also said cooking gas entered the strip for the first time in months.
“This is just beginning,” he wrote on social media after his arrival to Egypt’s resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to attend an international summit on Gaza.
Trump lands in Israel
Trump has landed in Israel to mark the U.S.-brokered ceasefire as Hamas started releasing Israeli hostages after two years of war.
Air Force One touched down at Ben-Gurion International Airport at 9:42 a.m. local time, after flying over Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where tens of thousands have gathered, on way to landing.
Israel’s military takes over 7 living hostages freed by Hamas in Gaza
The military acknowledged having taken over the seven after they were freed by Hamas and given to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The seven hostages will cross into Israel and be transferred to a military base in southern Israel to be reunited with their families. They’ll then be taken by helicopter to Israeli hospitals.
Hamas earlier said it would release 20 living hostages in the Gaza Strip in exchange for over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. The exchange comes as part of the ceasefire reached in the two-year Israel-Hamas war.
Families of Palestinian prisoners await their release
Families of Palestinian prisoners gathered at a popular overlook in the occupied West Bank near Ofer Prison, where some of the 250 long-term prisoners are expected to be freed after serving up to four decades for offenses including murder and attacks.
Many Palestinians expressed hope the releases could open a path toward peace.
Jamil Jahalin, a tour guide from a Bedouin tribe outside East Jerusalem, said he was cautiously optimistic the exchange would proceed smoothly, citing the momentum surrounding it and the arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump.
But his enthusiasm was tempered. Jahalin said his brother-in-law, imprisoned for 23 years, is among those set for release Monday but his family was told by Israeli security forces that he would be deported abroad.
Egypt will award Trump its highest civilian honor
Egypt will award U.S. President Donald Trump the country’s highest civilian honor, the office of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said.
Trump will be given The Order of the Nile for his efforts to stop the war in Gaza, according to a statement from the Egyptian leader’s office.
The award will recognize Trump’s “distinguished contributions to supporting peace efforts, defusing conflicts, and most recently, his pivotal role in ending the war in Gaza,” it added.
Crowd in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square cheers as the names of hostages to be released are read on local TV
The packed crowd in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv erupted in cheers as the names of the hostages to be released were read on local television. They clapped and chanted “Bring them home now!”
Some held Israeli flags with a yellow hostage ribbon on it. Others held posters with the faces of the hostages. Some clutched their chests and choked back tears.
Israel says Hamas hands over the first 7 hostages to the Red Cross
Hamas released seven hostages into the custody of the Red Cross on Monday, the first to be released as part of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
There was no immediate information on their condition.
Hamas has said 20 living hostages will be exchanged for more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Families and friends of hostages broke out into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the hostages were in the hands of the Red Cross.
Tens of thousands of Israelis are watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv.
Red Cross says it’s started ‘a multi-phase operation’ to oversee hostage and prisoner releases
The International Committee of the Red Cross says it has begun “a multi-phase operation” to oversee the release of hostages and prisoners as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
The Red Cross said it will receive hostages held in the Gaza Strip to transfer them to Israeli authorities, while also overseeing the release of prisoners to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The Red Cross “will also facilitate the transfer of remains of the deceased so that families can bury their loved ones with dignity,” it added.
Israel says Red Cross on its way to collect several hostages held by Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip
The International Committee of the Red Cross is moving toward a site to collect several hostages held by Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said.
The Israeli military said others would be released later.
It comes as Hamas released a list of 20 living hostages it said would be released and of over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners it said Israel would release.
Hamas publishes list of more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners it says will be released
Hamas published a list of more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners it said will be released in the Israel-Hamas war ceasefire.
It came after the militant group offered a list of the 20 living hostages it would release as part of the deal. The International Committee of the Red Cross is expected to oversee the releases.
Hamas publishes list of 20 living hostages it will release
Hamas published a list of the 20 living hostages it will release as part of the Israel-Hamas war ceasefire.
The list of names come as hostages and Palestinian prisoners were expected to be released Monday as part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s trip to Israel and Egypt to mark the ceasefire.
The International Committee of the Red Cross is expected to oversee the releases, which will include nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel will award Trump highest civilian honor
Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s office said he will award U.S. President Donald Trump Israel’s highest civilian honor, the “Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor,” for his efforts to bring the hostages home.
The award also recognizes Trump’s “unique contribution to Israel’s security and the well-being of its citizens, and his commitment to leading the entire region toward an era of peace and cooperation.”
Herzog will inform Trump on Monday and present the medal in the coming months “at a time and place to be determined.”
Britain’s Starmer arrives in Egypt
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has arrived in Egypt to attended a summit co-hosted by the leaders of Egypt and the United States to mark the ceasefire in Gaza.
Starmer said in a Facebook post that Britain is ready to support the reconstruction of Gaza and “we will work with partners to secure a stable future for the region.”
Abbas to participate in Egypt summit
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will participate in the summit in Egypt on Monday, according to an adviser.
Mahmoud al-Habbash, a judge and adviser to Abbas, told The Associated Press that the leader would travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Monday to attend the peace summit.
Tehran declines invitation to attend summit in Egypt
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency says the country’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told a Cabinet meeting on Sunday that Egypt had formally invited Iran’s president to attend the gathering of world leaders in the Arab country on Monday.
Araghchi said the Islamic Republic declined the invitation, which Egypt then renewed. It wasn’t immediately clear if Iran, an ally of Hamas, responded to that second invitation.
