DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Hamas released seven hostages into Red Cross custody on Monday, the first to be freed as part of a landmark ceasefire after two years of war between Israel and Hamas in the devastated Gaza Strip.
There was no immediate information about their condition. Hamas has said that 20 living hostages will be exchanged for more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Families and friends of the hostages burst into cheers when Israeli television channels announced that the hostages were in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country, while a major event was held in Tel Aviv.
The Palestinians were waiting for the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. US President Donald Trump arrived in the region along with other leaders to discuss the US’s proposed deal and post-war plans. A wave of humanitarian aid was expected in famine-stricken Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless.
While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners marked an important step toward ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group.
Live hostages are expected first
Early Monday morning, Hamas released a list of the 20 surviving hostages it will free as part of the ceasefire, as well as a list of more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners it says will be released by Israeli authorities.
The return of the hostages closes a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the October 2023 Hamas attack that ignited the war, news outlets have highlighted their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release.
As the war raged on, protesters accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political ends, just as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire.
With the release of the hostages, the sense of urgency surrounding the war will effectively end for many Israelis.
The surviving hostages will be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross and then to the Israeli army, which will take them to the Reim military base to be reunited with their families.
It is unlikely that the remains of up to 28 other hostages will be returned at the same time. An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who have not been returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israel’s hostages and missing persons coordinator.
The timing of the release of Palestinian prisoners has not yet been announced. They include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 captured from Gaza during the war and being held without charge. They will be sent back to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile.
While Israel views the prisoners as terrorists, the Palestinians view them as freedom fighters against the Israeli occupation. Israel has warned Palestinians in the West Bank not to celebrate after people are released, according to the family of a prisoner and a Palestinian official familiar with the plans. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation.
Trump in Israel and Egypt
Trump was on his first visit to Israel, where the White House schedule says he will meet with the hostages’ families and speak in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Vice President JD Vance said Trump will likely meet with newly released hostages.
“The war is over,” Trump claimed to reporters as he left, adding that he believed the ceasefire would hold.
Trump will continue to Egypt, where President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s office said he will co-chair a “peace summit” with regional and international leaders on Monday.
Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, will attend, judge and Abbas adviser Mahmoud al-Habbash told The Associated Press. Netanyahu has rejected any role for Abbas in post-war Gaza, although the US plan leaves open the possibility if his Palestinian Authority undergoes reforms. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007.
Other key questions in the ceasefire remain to be resolved, including the future governance of Gaza and who will pay for a multibillion-dollar reconstruction process. Israel wants to ensure that the weakened Hamas disarms, and Netanyahu has warned that Israel could do this “the hard way.” Hamas refuses to disarm and wants to ensure that Israel completely withdraws its troops from Gaza.
The Israeli army has withdrawn from much of Gaza City, the southern town of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns in far northern Gaza and the wide strip along Gaza’s border with Israel.
Under the US plan, an international body will govern Gaza, overseeing the Palestinian technocrats who run day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said that Gaza’s government must be worked out among Palestinians.
The plan calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It said Israeli forces would leave the areas if those forces deployed. About 200 US troops are now in Israel to monitor the ceasefire.
The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu.
‘Much of Gaza is a wasteland’
The United Nations has said Israel has so far approved 190,000 tons of aid to enter Gaza, which was under siege after Israel ended the previous ceasefire in March.
The Israeli military body responsible for humanitarian aid in Gaza said the amount of aid coming in is expected to increase on Sunday to about 600 trucks per day, as stipulated in the agreement.
“Much of Gaza is a wasteland,” U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the AP on Sunday. He said the UN has a plan for the next two months to restore basic medical and other services, bring in thousands of tons of food and fuel and remove debris.
Two years of war
The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage.
Israel’s subsequent offensive has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which makes no distinction between civilians and fighters but says about half of the dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-led government, and the UN and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of war casualties.
The toll will increase as bodies are pulled from the rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting.
The war has destroyed large parts of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its two million inhabitants. It has also sparked other conflicts in the region, sparked global protests and led to accusations of genocide that Israel denies.
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Magdy reported from Cairo and Lidman from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Truro, Mass.; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Jalal Bwaitel in Ramallah, West Bank, and Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel contributed to this report.
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