Donald Trump arrives in Israel on Monday (10/13) to free the hostages and attends the summit in Egypt on the same day. Find out what to expect on what could be a historic day for the Middle East
US President Donald Trump declared on Sunday (10/12) that “the war is over” as he embarked on a trip to Israel to free hostages from Gaza, as part of the ceasefire agreement signed between the Jewish state and Hamas.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said the ceasefire would be maintained and that a “peace council” should be quickly established for Gaza, which he said looked like a “demolition site.”
He also praised the role of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar, one of the mediators.
The deadline for the release of all hostages Hamas still holds in Gaza is noon local time on Monday (6am Brasilia time).
Also on Monday, Trump will travel to Egypt for an international summit aimed at ending the war.
The conflict was triggered by Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
Since then, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s military response, including more than 18,000 children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.
The ceasefire in Gaza came into force on Friday morning (10/10), after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of the 20-point peace plan brokered by Trump, with subsequent phases still to be negotiated.
Twenty of the Israeli hostages are believed to be alive, and Hamas is also expected to hand over the remains of up to 28 dead hostages.
Israel is also expected to release around 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 Gaza detainees, while larger quantities of humanitarian aid are expected to enter the Gaza Strip.
An Israeli government spokesman said the prisoners should be released as soon as the live hostages arrive on Israeli territory.
Trump told reporters that the ceasefire “should hold,” adding “everyone is happy and I think it will stay that way.”
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis attended a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday and sang in gratitude to the American leader.
It may be difficult to agree on many details of the later stages of the peace plan, such as the governance of Gaza, the extent of the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the disarmament of Hamas.
Trump will land in Israel on Monday, where he will address the country’s parliament, the Knesset.
He will then travel to lead a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh together with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Leaders from more than 20 countries will participate.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said a “document ending the war in the Gaza Strip” must be signed.
Leaders from more than 20 countries are expected to attend, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that as soon as the hostages return to Israel, the army will destroy underground tunnels built by Hamas in Gaza.
Humanitarian aid trucks began entering Gaza on Sunday and hundreds more lined up at the border.
Palestinians crowded around convoys arriving in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, James Elder, of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), said that dozens of trucks had entered the Gaza Strip, but that the number was fewer than necessary.
The UN estimates that at least 600 trucks of humanitarian aid are needed every day to begin addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In August, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a standardized global system used to classify the severity of food insecurity and acute malnutrition, declared famine in some parts of the territory, including Gaza City.
Israel, however, rejects the IPC report, and its Foreign Ministry says the conclusions are “based on Hamas lies.”
Israel’s military body Cogat says the report ignores “the extensive humanitarian efforts being undertaken in Gaza.”
Palestinians who returned to northern Gaza described scenes of devastation, many of them finding their homes reduced to rubble. Rescue teams have warned that there may be explosive devices and unexploded bombs in the area.
Amjad Al Shawa, head of a Palestinian organization that coordinates humanitarian aid groups, estimates that 300,000 tents will be needed to temporarily house 1.5 million displaced people from Gaza.
According to local sources, Hamas has recalled around 7,000 members of its security forces to regain control over areas of Gaza recently vacated by Israeli troops.
At least 27 people were killed in violent clashes between Hamas security forces and armed members of the Dughmush family in Gaza City on Sunday, in one of the most violent internal clashes since the end of major Israeli operations in the territory.
Source: Terra
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