First group of captives released under US-brokered ceasefire as Trump arrives in region for peace talks
Hamas has begun the process of handing over surviving Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza, marking the first step in a major prisoner exchange agreement brokered by the United States after two years of war.
Seven hostages were released on Monday morning, according to Israeli military and security officials. They confirmed that the individuals were transferred to Red Cross custody in the Gaza Strip and were being escorted to Israeli forces for medical checks and identification. More releases were expected later in the day as part of the wider ceasefire deal.
The development triggered scenes of relief and celebration in Tel Aviv, where hundreds of people gathered on Hostages Square to await updates. Many in the crowd, including relatives of those captured, broke into tears as news of the first transfers filtered through.
The release comes nearly two years after the deadly Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in which 251 people were taken hostage and more than 1,200 killed, mostly civilians. Since then, several temporary truces have led to the release of most captives, but 47 remained in detention before the latest deal was reached.
Under the new agreement, Hamas is expected to release all surviving hostages in exchange for the freedom of thousands of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons.
Ceasefire deal and Trump’s visit
The ceasefire and prisoner exchange were finalised after weeks of back-channel negotiations led by Washington, Cairo, and Doha. US President Donald Trump is visiting the region this week to consolidate the truce, meeting Israeli and Egyptian leaders before attending a peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh.
The visit is being described by his aides as both a diplomatic victory and an opportunity to stabilise the fragile calm between Israel and Hamas. Trump’s proposed roadmap includes the release of roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remaining 20 Israeli hostages believed to be alive.
Officials from the Israeli prime minister’s office said the transfer of hostages was expected to continue throughout the day, with full completion anticipated by early Tuesday. Negotiators confirmed that discussions were still ongoing over the list of senior Palestinian figures to be freed as part of the exchange, a sticking point that had delayed the final deal.
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The US-led peace plan was first unveiled in late September, outlining a 20-point framework for ending the Gaza war and rebuilding the territory. It includes a phased Israeli withdrawal, the creation of a multinational peacekeeping force, and the establishment of a new administrative authority for Gaza under US coordination.
Trump’s team insists that both Israel and Hamas have provided guarantees for the initial stages of the agreement. The president is also expected to meet families of freed hostages during his visit to Jerusalem and later travel to Egypt to co-chair the regional summit.
Rebuilding after the war
The ceasefire has brought temporary relief to Gaza’s war-weary population after years of destruction and displacement. Entire neighbourhoods remain flattened, with infrastructure in ruins and essential services on the brink of collapse. Many residents who fled during the fighting have begun returning to their homes, or what remains of them, amid widespread uncertainty about the future.
International agencies say the humanitarian situation remains dire, with food shortages, damaged hospitals, and limited access to clean water. Aid convoys have begun entering the enclave under the truce agreement, but reconstruction efforts are expected to take years and require billions of dollars in funding.
Under the new peace plan, the United States and its allies have pledged to lead an international reconstruction fund for Gaza, focusing on rebuilding housing, roads, and public utilities. The initiative also includes plans to retrain local security forces and integrate them into a multinational stabilization mission.
Meanwhile, Israel’s withdrawal from certain areas of Gaza is to be replaced by an international peacekeeping coalition composed of troops from Arab and Western nations. The mission will operate under a US-led command centre based in Israel.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, the war has claimed more than 67,000 lives, most of them women and children, figures that the United Nations has described as credible though unverified. The ceasefire has halted the fighting for now, but the long-term stability of the region will depend on whether both sides uphold their commitments in the weeks ahead.
As world leaders converge on Egypt for the peace summit, the release of the first hostages signals a tentative step toward closure for many families on both sides of the conflict, and perhaps, the beginning of a fragile new chapter for the Middle East.
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