The 20 remaining hostages in Gaza have been returned to Israel on Monday after two years of war. In return, West Jerusalem released 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 detainees from Gaza that had been held since Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023.
Emotional scenes unfolded as the freed hostages reunited with their families in hospitals across Israel and as released Palestinian detainees met with their relatives in the West Bank and arrived in buses to large crowds in Gaza.
As part of the agreement, the Palestinian militant group also handed over to the Red Cross four coffins with the remains of deceased hostages. The Israeli organization “Forum for Hostages and Relatives of the Disappeared,” however, called for “an immediate suspension of the agreement” until the remaining 24 bodies of hostages who died in captivity are returned to Israel from Gaza.
The return of all hostages, living or dead, by Monday afternoon was the main condition of the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza. The militants, however, claim they did not have enough time to find the bodies of all the deceased hostages.
Earlier on Monday, US President Donald Trump visited Israel and declared “the historic dawn of the new Middle East” in an address before the Knesset. He told the lawmakers that Israel had no more to achieve on the battlefield and must work toward peace in the Middle East.
He delivered the same message to an assembly of other world leaders after signing the Gaza ceasefire deal at a summit in Egypt.
A total of 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7 attacks, and about 200 were taken captive. In Gaza, at least 67,869 people have been killed since then, according to local health authorities.
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13 October 2025
Trump has closed his remarks in Sharm el-Sheikh alongside various world leaders who gathered for the ceasefire deal signing. He emphasized the historic nature of the agreement and unity in this moment.
“This is the first time the Middle East crisis has brought people together, as opposed to driving them apart, and to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of the generations past, which is foolish. So together, let us continue in the spirit of cooperation and goodwill that has finally brought us to this incredible, historic breakthrough.”
After finishing his speech, Trump met privately for “a little conversation” with the gathered leaders.
Trump has hailed a newly signed agreement between Israel and Hamas as a historic breakthrough, announcing the return of hostages and ongoing efforts to recover the remains of others.
“With the historic agreement we’ve just signed, those prayers of millions have finally been answered. As you know, the hostages have been returned and further work goes on having to do with the, sadly to say, bodies.”
Trump has individually greeted roughly 35 foreign leaders who have arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh for a conference on Gaza.
One by one, each leader, standing above large letters that read, “Peace 2025,” approaches Trump, shakes his hand, and exchanges a few brief remarks while posing for a photo before being whisked out of the room.
The leaders include Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, in what is his first meeting and conversation with Trump since the latter’s return to the Oval Office.
Netanyahu refused to attend at the last minute, citing the Simhat Torah holiday, which begins tonight.
Trump has arrived in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh for a deal-signing ceremony that is being attended by a number of other world leaders.
Air Force One was escorted into the area by Egyptian fighter jets.
Sharm el-Sheikh is where representatives from Israel, Hamas, and the United States met last week to finalize the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Netanyahu hopes sending more humanitarian aid to Gaza will lessen the international criticism of Israel for causing starvation in the enclave and make the international organizations dealing with aid irrelevant, Dr. Alon Liel has told RT.
The Red Cross is en route to receive the bodies of four Israeli hostages in southern Gaza, the IDF has said.
The Red Cross will later bring the caskets to IDF troops inside Gaza, where a small ceremony, led by a military rabbi, will be held in their memory. The caskets will also be examined by sappers “for security purposes,” according to the military.
The Al-Qassam Brigades has said it will hand over the bodies of four captives today. It identified the deceased captives as Guy Ilouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi, and Daniel Perez.
Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza earlier, but it is still holding the remains of a number of dead Israeli captives.
Trump is now departing Ben Gurion Airport and heading to Egypt for a global leaders summit on Gaza.
The Palestinian prisoners being released are likely to be in “horrific” condition because Palestinians in Israeli jails are subjected to the most “brutal and violent torture,” Al Jazeera has claimed, citing academic Basil Farraj.
”We know that since October 7 [2023], while torture and violence will have been systematically practiced inside Israeli prisons, these prisoners have been subjected to a brutal campaign,” Farraj said.
”They have been brutally beaten, tortured, and violated. We’ve witnessed and heard stories of sexual violence.”
Farraj says the conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails will continue and the release of the detainees “does not mean the end of the struggle” of others who remain in Israeli prisons.
Trump has concluded his 65-minute-long speech to Israel’s parliament, saying that “we’re going to build a legacy that all the people of this region can be proud of.”
“So now we’re going to forge a future that is worthy of our heritage. We’re going to build a legacy that all the people of this region can be proud of,” he added.
Iran would’ve had nuclear weapons in two months or less if its facilities hadn’t been struck, Trump has claimed, and the Middle Eastern countries that back the Gaza ceasefire deal wouldn’t have done so in the face of a nuclear Iran. “We took a big cloud off the Middle East, and off of Israel,” Trump added.
”This was our last shot,” he says. “And it was an honor to help.”
Trump has said that all across the Middle East, “the forces of chaos, terror, and ruin that have plagued the region for decades now stand weakened, isolated, and totally defeated.”
He praised the skill of the IDF in the 12-day air war with Iran in June, saying that the army's chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, “looks like he’s from central casting.”
“Great job,” Trump said. “My people loved working with you. They worked so well together.”
Trump claimed that together, Israel and the US had “stopped the number-one state sponsor of terror from obtaining the world’s most dangerous weapons.”
The second phase of the exchange deal is now underway, with 96 freed Palestinian prisoners arriving at the cultural palace in Ramallah, according to RT Middle East bureau chief Maria Finoshina.The prisoners were transported on two buses from Israeli jails, including individuals who have spent years or decades in detention. Earlier on Monday, the first stage of the exchange saw 20 Israeli hostages returned to their country after more than 730 days in captivity.
Trump told the Knesset that he will continue to pursue peaceful resolutions to conflicts worldwide, emphasizing that resolving the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine is a top priority for his administration. “I thought it would be easily settled,” Trump remarked, adding, “but we will get that one.”
Trump has made an extraordinary call for Netanyahu to receive a pardon amid his ongoing legal troubles. “Mr. President, why don’t you give him a pardon,” Trump said, addressing Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Trump acknowledged the request wasn’t in his prepared remarks, but said he couldn’t help supporting his ally.
“I happen to like this gentleman right over here, and it just seems to make so much sense, you know, whether we like it or not, this has been one of the greatest wartime presidents.”
“Cigars and champagne, who the hell cares,” he said, referring to the accusations that Netanyahu had received expensive gifts like cigars and champagne from overseas businessmen.
Trump “doesn't understand” the Middle East, just like previous US presidents, journalist Yoni Ben Menachem has said.
“President Trump has a fantasy that he will bring peace to the world and create a new Middle East. I think this is very exaggerated,” he claimed.
“Once they try to bring democracy to the Arab countries, once they try to bring peace, and eventually, in the bottom line, so far, all of the American presidents fail. And I think that also President Trump is delusional and he will fail eventually in his plan.”
Today is still a very happy day for Israel, Ben Menachem added.
Donald Trump praised US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff as well as his own son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner for their roles in brokering the Gaza ceasefire deal that facilitated the latest hostage returns.
Joking about Witkoff’s five-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this year, Trump quipped, “What the hell were you talking about for five hours?” to which Witkoff replied, “Just a lot of interesting things.”
Trump further remarked at the Knesset, “Steve Witkoff is better than Kissinger - because Kissinger would leak,” drawing laughter and applause from the audience.
Trump's speech was briefly interrupted when left-wing Knesset member Ayman Odeh held up a sign urging the U.S. president to “recognize Palestine.” Another lawmaker, Ofer Cassif, held a sign reading “GENOCIDE.” Security swiftly intervened, removing both from the chamber as Trump continued his address. The U.S. president quipped, “That was efficient,” prompting another burst of applause from Israeli parliamentarians.
Trump has begun his address to the Israeli Knesset.
“This is the end of the age of terror and death, and the start of the age of God,” he said. “After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families, and it is glorious.”
Only four bodies of the hostages will be returned to Israel today, according to the Headquarters of the Families for the Return of the Captives.
“The families of the captives received with shock and dismay the news of the intention to return today only four bodies of fallen soldiers out of 28 held by Hamas. This is a blatant violation of the agreement by Hamas. We expect the Israeli government and the mediators to act immediately to correct this terrible injustice,” the statement said.
”We will not give up on any captive, and the mediators must enforce the terms of the agreement and exact a price from the terrorist organization Hamas for the violation,” it added.
“Fragile” language in President Trump's plan to resolve the Gaza crisis should remain unchanged, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated during a meeting with Arab journalists. He noted that attempts to revise these terms are already emerging from various quarters, including claims by some Israeli figures who assert that the agreements do not prevent Israel from resuming military actions at any time.
“Hamas believes Israel is attempting to retroactively clarify the terms and opposes this, asserting they accepted Trump's plan as it was presented,” Lavrov stated. He warned against potential maneuvers surrounding the document and urged all parties to concentrate on the strict implementation of agreements regarding withdrawals and the release of Palestinians to prevent further escalation.
Yair Lapid, Knesset opposition leader, is now speaking. “The Nobel Committee will have no choice but to award it to you next year,” he told Trump, adding that “there was no genocide in Gaza.”
“To the Islamic world, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and others – we are here to stay. Come and talk to us, and we can do great together.”
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Trump, met directly with Hamas leaders to finalize a deal for Gaza, according to Axios. Sources told the outlet that the direct meetings were essential to assure Hamas that Trump would uphold the agreement as long as the group adhered to its commitments.
Netanyahu has welcomed Trump and his team, speaking at the Knesset. “This is your first visit to Israel since you recognized Jerusalem as our capital and moved the embassy here,” the PM added.
”Thank you for putting forward a proposal that is backed by the entire world, a proposal that ends the war, that brings all our hostages home, and that helps us achieve all our goals. You are committed to this peace deal, I am committed to it.”
Netanyahu will not attend the summit on Gaza in Egypt, the Israeli prime minister's office has said. He thanked Trump for the invitation but stated that he would be unable to attend due to an upcoming holiday.
Netanyahu expressed gratitude to Trump for his efforts to expand the circle of peace.
The Israeli Embassy in Russia has shared a photo with TASS of Maksim Kharkin, a Donbass native, following his release from Hamas captivity.
Thousands have gathered in Ramallah to welcome home loved ones freed from Israeli prisons as part of the prisoner exchange deal. Families are celebrating their return while calling for lasting peace in the region.
Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana has introduced Trump's Special Envoy to the Middle East Steven Witkoff, as well as the US president’s son-in-law, to the rest of the Israeli legislature.
“Two key players, President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, who is here with his partner, Lauren. And Jared Kushner, who is here with his wife, Ivanka. They are both here to discuss the potential for a new peace deal in the Middle East.”
The released Palestinian prisoners have begun disembarking from buses and are being reunited with their families in Ramallah.
President Trump has entered the Knesset chamber to a standing ovation.
Israeli PM Netanyahu has presented Trump with a golden dove, honoring his role in bringing the hostages home.
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will play a “special role” in governing Gaza alongside the Palestinian Authority (PA) as he arrived in Egypt for a summit focused on the region’s future.
“On governance issues, we will play a particularly important role,” Macron stated, highlighting the need for the PA to implement necessary reforms.
“France is ready and has already begun planning work toward achieving lasting peace in Gaza,” he added.
The summit, co-chaired by US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, is scheduled for this afternoon.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Office has reported that vans carrying Palestinian prisoners have left Israeli prisons. Some have arrived in Ramallah, where a large crowd and medical staff are gathered. Israel is releasing 250 long-term prisoners and an additional 1,718 detainees held without charge since the Gaza war began. The first bus has reportedly crossed into Gaza, with crowds gathering at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to await their return.
Intisar Bayyoud, the mother of Palestinian hostage Habes Bayyoud, has expressed joy upon learning that her son, detained for 24 years, would be released in a prisoner exchange involving 250 Palestinians. “Praise be to God… I heard his name among those that will be freed,” she said.
Habes was arrested in 2002 during an Israeli military incursion and convicted for alleged involvement in the deaths of Israeli soldiers. While Intisar hopes to reunite with her son, she noted he likely faces deportation. The Israeli Prison Service confirmed it is prepared for the next steps in the hostage return operations, which include a ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from certain areas in Gaza.
Israel is preparing to release some of the 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, in accordance with the ceasefire deal. The timing of the eventual release of the prisoners is unknown.
Some of them are expecting transfer from the Ofer prison in the West Bank.
Other prisoners and detainees who have been held in Israel without charge are set to be released from Ketziot prison in southern Israel, and either transferred to Gaza or deported to Egypt.
Netanyahu has just spoken by phone with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sissi, as Trump listened in, Channel 12 news reports. During the call, apparently brokered by Trump at the Knesset, Netanyahu accepted an invitation to join the international summit on the Gaza peace plan in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt today, according to the report.
Sissi has avoided speaking to Netanyahu throughout the war and did not initially invite the prime minister to today’s summit.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will also be attending the summit, along with the leaders of Qatar and Indonesia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said a long-term settlement of the Middle East conflict is impossible without the creation of a Palestinian state.
Trump's Gaza plan is the “best thing on the table,” but it doesn't resolve the Palestinian issue entirely, Lavrov added.
He emphasized that Russia sincerely wishes success for the Sharm el-Sheikh summit on a Gaza settlement planned for later today.
Palestinians await the release of loved ones in Ramallah.
In the wake of the release of 20 hostages from Gaza, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared on X that this marks a “crucial phase” in achieving peace in the Middle East. Speaking from Egypt ahead of an international summit, he stressed the need for lasting stability in the region and announced additional UK humanitarian aid for Gaza, pledging to lead reconstruction efforts.
Following Trump's arrival in Israel, US special envoy Steve Witkoff expressed his relief on X at the return of 20 living Israeli hostages to their families, calling it “deeply gratifying.” He emphasized that recovering the bodies of the remaining 28 deceased hostages is essential. Witkoff lamented that, while there is happiness in this moment, his “heart aches for those whose loved ones” will not return alive. He reiterated the importance of bringing their remains home as an act of dignity, honoring their memory.
Thirteen hostages have just met with IDF and ISA forces in Gaza, and are currently returning to Israel, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment.
IDF commanders and soldiers saluted and embraced the returning hostages as they made their way home, according to the Israeli army.
Red Cross has confirmed it collected 13 hostages “in ok condition,” and they are now being taken to a rendez-vous point with the IVF inside Gaza, where they will be handed over. They will then be escorted out of the enclave to an army facility near Re’im, where they will undergo an initial physical and mental checkup and meet their families.
The 13 have been named as Elkana Bohbot, Avinatan Or, Yosef-Haim Ohana, Evyatar David, Rom Braslavski, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Matan Zangauker, Bar Kupershtein, David Cunio, and Ariel Cunio.
Hamas is now no longer holding any hostages for the first time since 2014.
Twins Ziv and Gali Berman have returned to Israel after 738 days in Hamas captivity. The pair, born just minutes apart, were abducted from Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023. Gali was taken while attempting to join Emily Damari, his friend and neighbor, and Ziv was kidnapped after fleeing his burning home. During the attack, 11 of their neighbors were killed, and seven were abducted.
Speaking to journalists at the Knesset, Trump responds “yes” when asked if the war in Gaza has ended.
“This is a great day. This is a whole new beginning, and I think there’s never been an event like it,” the US leader added. “The love in the streets has just been incredible.”
Asked about what will happen to Hamas if it doesn’t comply with the ceasefire, he responds, “They’ll comply.”
“We’re so happy for them,” Trump said of the hostages. “They’re going to be happy and they’re going to have a great life.”
“They’ve been very brave,” he added.
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee has said that as he greeted Netanyahu on the tarmac, he congratulated the prime minister, saying “his unflinching leadership against so much opposition was key to the end of the war and the hostage release.”
Trump has signed the Knesset guestbook.
”This is my great honor. A great and beautiful day, a new beginning,” he wrote in a thick, black sharpie marker, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, his wife, and others.
Trump will head to the plenum to address the Knesset, becoming the fourth US president to do so, but has first stopped to talk to the press.
US President Donald Trump has arrived at the Knesset.
“It’s a great day. Maybe your best day,” Trump told Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they walked down the red carpet on the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport.
“This is history,” Netanyahu responded.
According to Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yehiel Leiter, Trump told him at the airport, “You know your son is looking down at you with a smile, you know that, right?” Leiter’s son, Major (Res.) Moshe Yedidia Leiter, was killed in fighting in Gaza in 2023.
”My heart burst,” Leiter wrote later on X.
The family of hostage Bar Kupershtein have been pictured reacting to his release as they watched it live.
Hamas has confirmed to the Red Cross that the remains of the dead hostages will be returned in separate batches this afternoon.
Israeli media reports that Hamas has handed over the final 13 surviving hostages to the Red Cross.
The bodies of 28 deceased captives are still being kept in Gaza.
The Israeli Embassy in Russia has confirmed to TASS that Maksim Kharkin, a native of Donbass, is among the 20 hostages expected to be released by Hamas today.
Former hostage Bar Kuperstein has been reunited with his family following his release from Hamas captivity, receiving heartfelt embraces as he returned home.
The transfer of ten Israeli hostages to the Red Cross has commenced. Initial images of two previously released hostages, Alon Ohel and Gali Berman, have also emerged.
The IDF has released footage capturing the moment the first seven returning hostages crossed into Israeli territory earlier today.
Red Cross buses have arrived at Israel’s Ofer Military Prison, where they will receive 108 out of the 250 Palestinian prisoners due to be released to the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera has reported.
In total, almost 2,000 Palestinians are due to be released from Israeli prisons as part of the agreement with Hamas.
Trump is on his way to address the Knesset, and is riding in the US presidential limousine – nicknamed ‘The Beast’ – alongside Israeli PM Netanyahu and his wife, Sara.
The moment the seven hostages arrived at Israeli's Re'im base, the second phase of the hostage release commenced, with the Red Cross on-site to facilitate the process, according to the IDF.
The White House has shared footage of Trump’s arrival at Ben Gurion airport just outside Tel Aviv.
Trump was seen raising his fist and smiling as he stepped off Air Force One, before being greeted by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The IDF has reported that the Red Cross is en route to a meeting point in southern Gaza to receive several more Israeli hostages. Hamas is due to release 13 more live Israeli hostages this morning, in addition to the seven already freed.
US President Donald Trump has arrived at Ben Gurion airport in Israel. Trump is set to address the Israeli Knesset later today, before flying to Egypt for a summit on the ceasefire agreement.
Trump is being received at the airport by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, his daughter Ivanka, and US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff are also present.
The first seven Israeli hostages released by Hamas have been named as Matan Angrest, brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, Alon Ohel, Eitan Mor, Omri Miran, and Guy Gilboa-Dalal.
They will be transported from Gaza by the Israeli military to the Re’im military base for medical checks before being reunited with their families.
Israeli activist Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan was kidnapped in the October 7 Hamas raids, has spoken to him for the first time since his release from captivity.
The first seven hostages released by Hamas have already been received by the Israeli military and have spoken to their families, Al Jazeera has reported.
“They are reported to be in reasonable condition, walking without needing medical assistance,” a correspondent for the outlet said.
The news of their release was met with celebration in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where thousands of people have gathered.
Hamas is expected to release 13 other living Israeli hostages later this morning.
The Israeli military said the Red Cross has received seven captives from Hamas in Gaza and is now transferring them to Israeli forces in coordination with Shin Bet.
Israel had “failed to recover its hostages through military pressure” and was now “surrendering” by agreeing to a prisoner exchange deal, as the release of the first seven hostages got underway, Hamas’s military wing, the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, has said.
“We declare our commitment to the agreement and its associated timetables, as long as the occupation adheres to them,” the group said in a statement. It added that “the enemy, despite its intelligence superiority and overwhelming power, was unable to retrieve its prisoners by force and has now been forced to yield, as the resistance promised from the beginning.”
US President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Tel Aviv within the next hour for what the White House described as “an historic day for the entire world.” According to an official Rapid Response 47 post, Trump will meet with families of Israeli captives before addressing the Israeli parliament. He will then depart for the leaders’ summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted an Instagram photo showing staff aboard Air Force One watching the release of hostages from Gaza as the delegation traveled to Israel.
Hamas has reportedly released seven hostages into the custody of the Red Cross, the first to be released as part of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. There was no immediate information on their condition.
Qatar’s Al-Araby channel said the hostages were being transferred by Hamas’s military wing. The group reportedly includes Gali and Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor and Guy Gilboa-Dallal.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Israel’s emergency services have said they are on standby to support IDF and Health Ministry operations as hostages return, with all resources mobilized.
Names of 1,718 Palestinian prisoners and detainees from Gaza to be freed in a hostage exchange were published on Telegram by Hamas’s Prisoners Media Office.
The Israeli military said on X that Red Cross vehicles were heading to a meeting point in the northern Gaza Strip to receive several hostages.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) added that it was prepared to take in additional hostages who would be handed over to the Red Cross later.
The Israeli Air Force said it had two helicopters on standby to transport the released hostages back to Israel.
A Hamas-linked website has instructed Gaza residents not to share any online information about expected hostage releases, warning that violations would be treated as a “dangerous security breach” and offenders “held to account.”
The Al-Majd website issued guidance prohibiting residents from posting or forwarding details or images related to the “Shadow Unit” — the Hamas military wing unit responsible for guarding hostages — including its locations and the timing or routes of transfers inside the Gaza Strip.
Images circulating on social media appear to show a Red Cross vehicle in Gaza amid preparations for a potential hostage exchange.
Israeli media reported that ministers in Israel’s government approved several revisions late on Sunday to the list of Palestinian prisoners and Gaza detainees to be freed in exchange for hostages held by Hamas.
According to the Haaretz daily, the changes included removing one inmate who had already been released and adding two others linked to Hamas who were not serving life terms. The paper said seven minors detained by Israeli forces in Gaza after the outbreak of the war were also taken off the list and replaced by two women prisoners.
Billboards and banners have appeared across several Israeli cities depicting US President Donald Trump alongside the words “Cyrus the Great,” drawing on a powerful biblical image. The comparison refers to the ancient Persian king who, according to the Hebrew Bible, allowed Jews exiled in Babylon to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple.
President Donald Trump said the Gaza peace agreement “could be the biggest thing I was ever involved in,” during a phone interview with Axios while traveling aboard Air Force One to Israel.
Israel’s Health Ministry said on Sunday that three hospitals have been readied to receive 20 hostages expected to return alive, with medical teams preparing for cases of severe malnutrition and related complications. Officials said Sheba, Beilinson and Ichilov hospitals have been instructed to proceed with exceptional caution due to the hostages’ fragile physical condition.
According to ministry estimates, many of the released captives are suffering from acute malnutrition, salt and vitamin deficiencies, and face a risk of developing “refeeding syndrome” — a potentially life-threatening condition triggered by the reintroduction of nutrition after prolonged starvation. Upon arrival, each patient will undergo comprehensive testing to determine their condition before beginning gradual feeding and rehabilitation.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will present US President Donald Trump with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor in recognition of his role in brokering a ceasefire deal that secured the return of hostages held in Gaza following the October 7 attacks, Herzog’s office said on Monday.
The honor, Israel’s highest civilian award, is granted to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the State of Israel or to humanity. Herzog is expected to formally announce the decision and present the medal to Trump during their meeting later on Monday at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
Hamas has informed the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that the handover of hostages will take place after 8:00 (05:00 GMT) from three separate locations across the Gaza Strip, Saudi newspaper Asharq reported on Sunday, citing a source familiar with the matter.
The report said Hamas would decide the exact dates and notify the ICRC of the locations for the transfer. A technical meeting was held late Saturday between Hamas representatives and a Red Cross team to coordinate the handover, during which Hamas provided an update on the condition of the living hostages, the newspaper said, without giving further details.
World leaders from more than 20 countries have begun arriving in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for a summit on Gaza’s future, which is expected to include a peace signing ceremony. The meeting, chaired by US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, will be held on Monday and aims to finalise an agreement to end the war in Gaza.
Among those attending are British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said on X that he had arrived in Egypt “to mark the first, crucial step towards peace in the Middle East,” French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The office of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he would also take part in finalising the agreement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that he and President Masoud Pezeshkian would not attend the summit, but added that Tehran supports efforts to end Israel’s “genocide in Gaza.”