The peace deal was brokered by United States President Donald Trump.
On Monday, after extensive negotiations towards a peace deal by President Trump, Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners in the first step towards ending years of war.
Twenty remaining living hostages were returned to Israel after being held by Hamas in Gaza since the terrorist group’s attack on October 7, 2023.
In the 2023 attack, militants killed 1,200 people in Israel, most being citizens. The group took 251 captives into Gaza.
Four deceased hostages were also returned to Israel, with another 24 set to be returned as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement. Israel returned prisoners to Gaza as part of the exchange.
The agreement also requires Israel to allow a surge of food and other supplies into Gaza, which has seen significant destruction and lack of humanitarian aid during the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is committed to the agreement, and that it “ends the war by achieving all our objectives.” Israel was not willing to end the war until all the hostages were freed by Hamas.
President Trump traveled to the region and addressed Israel’s parliament, urging the governing body towards broader peace in the region.
“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,” said President Trump in his Knesset speech.
His speech was briefly interrupted by two Knesset members protesting, with one holding up a sign that said, “Recognize Palestine”. They were removed from the chamber.
Trump praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio for his efforts in bringing Israel and Hamas to a peace deal. During his speech he referred to Rubio as one of the “unbelievably good people” who worked on the deal.
“I have a prediction that Marco will go down – I mean this – as the greatest secretary of state in the history of the United States. I believe that… He was always smart and sharp, and people respect him,” the president said.
Trump also traveled to Egypt to meet with other world leaders on the peace deal. More than 20 countries met to discuss the future of Gaza and the Middle East region.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who administers parts of the West Bank, was in attendance at the summit in Egypt.
As the released hostages returned to Israel on Monday, citizens watched on public screens as the 20 men reunited with their families. Crowds broke into tears of joy.
Thousands protested in Israel each week to demand that Israel secure the release of the remaining hostages.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said any delay by Hamas in returning the remaining deceased hostages would be viewed as a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
For Israel’s part of the hostage exchange agreement, it released about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners in Gaza.
The prisoners include 250 people that were serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, as well as 1,700 taken from Gaza during the war.
Following the release of the hostages, Israel will almost certainly turn its attention to the disarming of Hamas, which will be a difficult part of peace negotiations. Hamas refuses to completely disarm and wants Israel to remove all its troops from Gaza.
The future governance of Gaza also remains in question. Under the U.S.-brokered peace plan, an international body will govern the territory and oversee Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas thinks the government in Gaza should be decided by Palestinians.
The plan calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police.
Approximately 200 U.S. troops are in Israel to monitor the progression of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
