Ceasefire Agreement and Hostage Release
The Israeli-Hamas peace agreement's first half has been completed. As per the agreement of the ceasefire, Hamas will release Israeli hostages on this day. The news is a significant step towards ending the decades-long Gaza war.
US President Donald Trump announced that the Gaza war is officially over. On his way out of the country as he headed to Israel, he told reporters that peace and stability would now follow in the region.
Trump's Middle Eastern Visit
US President Trump is traveling to Israel to join in peace-related activities. He will start by speaking at the Israeli Parliament and afterwards meet the families of the hostages who were released. He will afterwards travel to Egypt to join a peace summit organized by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh.
At this summit, the ceasefire deal will be signed officially. The event will be graced by the presence of leaders and officials from 20 nations, which underscores international backing of the peace deal.
Background of the Gaza Conflict
The war began on October 7, 2023, with the beginning of a mass attack by Hamas against Israel. The attack killed around 1,200 people and resulted in 251 being kidnapped. Over time, some hostages were released by Hamas or freed by the Israeli military, while others were killed.
Currently, it is estimated that Hamas is detaining 48 hostages. Sources say 20 of them are the sole survivors left. According to the conditions of the new peace agreement, Hamas will release all the surviving hostages. As a response, Israel will release over 2,000 Palestinian detainees. The detainees will be released on Monday night.
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