Hamas releases all hostages, Israel frees prisoners

 

 

 

HAMAS released all 20 remaining living hostages on Monday as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians. Hamas said on Monday that it will release the bodies of four of the 28 deceased Israeli captives, though it was not immediately clear when the rest of the bodies would be sent back to Israel. Israel says it has released more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal. Cheering crowds greeted buses of released prisoners in the West Bank and Gaza, while families and friends of the hostages gathered in a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, cried out with joy and relief as news arrived that the captives were free.

 

The bodies of 60 Palestinians were recovered in Gaza: Gaza’s Health Ministry says the bodies of 60 Palestinians have been recovered from under the rubble of destroyed buildings and brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours. That brought the number of recovered bodies to 200 in the past four days since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect and Israeli troops pulled back from some parts of Gaza. The Ministry says many dead are still under the rubble, particularly in areas inaccessible to first responders. Israel’s campaign in Gaza killed more than 67,800 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry. The Ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants but says around half of the dead were women and children. Speaking to Parliament, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared he was “committed to this peace,” raising hopes that the ruinous war, which triggered other conflicts in the Middle East and had left scores of captives in militant hands, might come to an end. But fundamental questions remain over when and how.

 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he is “profoundly relieved” that the Israeli hostages in Gaza have regained their freedom and will be reunited with their families after the “immense suffering” they have endured. Guterres, in a statement, also reiterated his call for the release of the remains of the deceased hostages. The statement was issued from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where world leaders were gathering to throw their weight behind the Gaza ceasefire deal. “I urge all parties to build on this momentum and to honour their commitments under the ceasefire to end the nightmare in Gaza,” Guterres said. “The United Nations is working to support all efforts to end the conflict in Gaza and alleviate the suffering of civilians.” Speaking ahead of Trump’s address in the Knesset, Netanyahu pledged that he was “committed to this peace.”

 

He added: “Today, the Jewish calendar marks the end of two years of war.” While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. The ceasefire is also expected to see a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage. In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. The Ministry is part of the Hamas-run Government, and the UN and many independent experts consider its figures the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.