All 20 remaining living Israeli hostages held in Gaza were handed over to Israeli authorities on Monday under the first phase of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, marking a pivotal step in efforts to end a two-year war. U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration mediated the deal, arrived in Israel as the transfers concluded. The agreement also includes the release of Palestinian prisoners and will be followed by an international summit in Egypt.
In the lead-up to the release, Hamas published the names of the 20 hostages to be freed. Some were freed in an initial group of seven; the remaining 13 were transferred shortly thereafter. The Israeli military confirmed it had received all of them, declaring the full transfer complete. This release is part of a larger exchange: Israel is expected to free hundreds of Palestinian detainees, including those held without charge and convicted attackers, under the terms of the ceasefire.
President Trump greeted the moment with appreciation. Speaking on his arrival, he called the day “a great day” and declared, “Yes,” when asked if the war in Gaza was over. He is scheduled to address Israel’s parliament and meet with hostage families before traveling to Egypt for a regional summit on Gaza.
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In remarks during his flight, Trump suggested that Hamas had been granted a form of permission to carry out internal security operations in Gaza. He said, “we gave them approval for a period of time,” explaining that authorities needed to “stop the problems … because … a lot of bad things can happen” with nearly 2 million people returning to destroyed buildings. Hamas, for its part, described its deployment of internal security forces as an effort to stop lawlessness, looting, and prevent a security vacuum.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received Trump at Ben Gurion Airport and is set to attend the Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Egypt’s presidential office confirmed Netanyahu’s participation, and both leaders held a telephone call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ahead of the summit. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is also expected to attend.
The hostage release is the first element of the ceasefire agreement, which also includes returning the bodies of deceased hostages and also reciprocal releases of Palestinian detainees. The deal is seen as a test for broader peace efforts and postwar governance in Gaza, particularly around Hamas’s role, disarmament, and the re-establishment of civil order.