Under a US-brokered ceasefire deal, 20 Israeli hostages believed to be alive are expected to be freed
The first stage of the long-awaited hostage swap between Hamas and Israel has begun, with the former set to free 48 Israeli hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be still alive. 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.
Under an agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump, Israel, in return, is expected to release about 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and more than 1,700 who were detained since the beginning of the Gaza war in 2023, including all women and minors. Israel will also allow humanitarian aid into the enclave to ease severe food shortages.
The Israel-Hamas ceasefire took effect Friday at noon local time (09:00 GMT). Under the first phase of the deal, the Israeli army had 24 hours to pull back to an agreed-upon line, leaving it in control of about 53% of Gaza. Hamas has until 12:00 (09:00 GMT) Monday to release all Israeli hostages.
The 20-point ceasefire plan unveiled by Trump in late September also calls for a phased full Israeli pullout from Gaza, disarming of Hamas, and the creation of a transitional international administration. It envisions Gaza as a “deradicalized terror-free zone” with Hamas barred from governance.
The war between Israel and Hamas began October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and seizing around 250 hostages. Israel’s operation in response has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and triggered a humanitarian crisis in the enclave, prompting the UN to accuse West Jerusalem of genocide.
Global leaders welcomed Trump’s plan and called for rapid implementation, urging both sides to comply with the humanitarian provisions.
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