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US President Donald Trump declared the Gaza war “over” on Sunday as he travelled to the region to host a peace summit, while Hamas prepared to release the surviving hostages held for nearly two years.
Under the roadmap proposed by Trump, Israel is set to free around 2,000 Palestinian detainees in exchange for the hostages being returned, though negotiators were still finalising details, with Hamas insisting that seven senior Palestinian leaders be included in the release.
Trump told reporters en route from Washington that it was “a very special” trip and reiterated that “the war is over.”
He is expected to arrive in Israel shortly after the release of hostages, address the Israeli parliament, and then travel to Egypt to chair a summit of world leaders aimed at cementing peace and ending the conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the day “an emotional evening, an evening of tears, an evening of joy,” as he highlighted the return of children to Israel’s borders.
Nevertheless, he stressed that “the fight is not over.” Israel’s army chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, described the combined military and diplomatic efforts over the past two years as a victory over Hamas.
Spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said the release of the 20 living hostages would begin early Monday, though some remains of fallen captives would not be returned immediately.
An international body will be established to locate the remaining deceased. Palestinian prisoners will only be freed once Israel confirms all hostages have crossed into Israeli territory.
Two Hamas sources confirmed that the group insists on the inclusion of seven prominent Palestinian figures, some of whom Israel had previously refused to release, in the exchange.
The group and its allies, however, said they had “completed all preparations” to hand over all living hostages.
The release covers hostages abducted during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which killed 1,219 people, and includes the remains of a soldier killed in 2014.
Among the Palestinian prisoners to be freed are 250 security detainees, including those convicted of killing Israelis, and around 1,700 individuals held by the Israeli army during the war.
The peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, will gather leaders from over 20 countries, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Britain, France, Italy, Spain, and Jordan. Neither Israeli nor Hamas officials will attend.
On the ground, some aid trucks crossed into Gaza on the third day of the ceasefire, but chaotic scenes in Khan Yunis saw parcels ransacked, highlighting residents’ fears that the war could resume.
“Everyone fears the war will return,” said resident Mahmud al-Muzain, describing widespread stockpiling of food.
Hamas, which has suffered heavy losses over the past two years, including the deaths of top leaders, will not participate in post-war governance but has indicated it will retain its weapons.
Israel’s partial withdrawal from Gaza is expected to be replaced by a multinational force coordinated by a US-led command.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, the conflict has killed at least 67,806 people, with more than half of the casualties being women and children.
