After 735 days of captivity, the first group of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza will walk free on Monday, setting the stage for a prisoner swap that could reshape the region’s fragile peace.
“War Is Over,” but Tensions Remain
U.S. President Donald Trump, en route to Israel and Egypt, stunned the world by declaring “the war is over in Gaza.” He said normalization of relations could follow, as he prepares to meet hostage families in Jerusalem and address Israel’s parliament.
A High-Stakes Prisoner Exchange
Under the ceasefire deal, Hamas will release 20 living hostages and return 28 bodies. In return, Israel will free roughly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, including 250 in the first wave and over 1,700 more in the days ahead.
Negotiators from both sides remain divided over the final list. Hamas insists on senior figures like Fatah’s Marwan Barghouti and PFLP’s Ahmed Saadat, while Israel prefers releasing women, minors and those serving medium-term sentences.
Humanitarian Relief Scales Up
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has delivered hundreds of thousands of hot meals and bread bundles across Gaza. For the first time since March, cooking gas has entered the enclave, easing basic shortages for over 2 million residents.
Peace on the Horizon?
Despite the exchange, initial optimism is tempered by warnings from Israeli leaders. Defense Minister Israel Katz vows to destroy Hamas’s tunnel network, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says “the military campaign is not over” as Israel faces continuing security challenges.
Key questions linger: who will govern Gaza post-conflict, and can Hamas find a role in a disarmed future? These issues will be front and center when more than 20 world leaders gather in Sharm el-Sheikh for a Middle East peace summit co-hosted by Trump and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to attend, though no Israeli officials are on the guest list.
The coming days could define a turning point or expose deeper divides. For now, millions watch as hostages return home and diplomats race against time to turn a tentative truce into lasting peace.
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Trump says 'war is over' in Gaza as hostage-prisoner swap nears
cgtn.com
