Hostages Freed After Months of Captivity
Hamas freed some hostages who had been held captive for nearly two years. On Monday, the organization released seven hostages to the Red Cross initially. The organization later released another 13 individuals. The Red Cross later transferred all of them to Israel. Their freedom was relief and source of joy to their supporters and families.
Hamas also handed over the bodies of 28 Israeli citizens in the near future. Israel released some Palestinian prisoners in return.
Ceasefire and Peace Agreement Details
Israel and Hamas have recently experienced a new ceasefire deal. It is the first phase of a 20-point peace plan by U.S. President Trump. The ceasefire began on Friday, and the hostages were subsequently released.
In this transaction, Hamas is supposed to release 48 hostages. Out of these, only 20 are alive. The releases have been conducted in three places in the vicinity of Gaza. Israel promised to release over 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange.
Background of the Conflict
The conflict started on October 7, 2023, when Israel was attacked by Hamas. It killed approximately 1,200 individuals and took 251 of them as hostages. Some of the hostages were gradually released, some were rescued by Israeli forces, and others succumbed to injuries. With this recent development, Hamas has now released all the remaining hostages.
Next Phase of Peace Talks
After this phase of the deal, the second phase of negotiations under Trump peace plan will ensue. Disarming Hamas and pulling Israeli troops out of Gaza are the following steps.
These negotiations are being coordinated by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar. United States President Trump, who was important in signing this agreement, is visiting Israel and Egypt on Monday. He will address the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem first and then talk with the hostage-release families before proceeding to Egypt.
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