Hamas hands over 20 Israeli hostages to Red Cross as Trump arrives in Israel for Gaza peace summit

All 20 surviving Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have been handed over to Red Cross representatives, according to Israel’s public broadcaster. 

The hostages were released in two separate batches on Monday. The first group of seven captives was handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza City, followed by a second group of 13 in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed that the first group was in their custody and undergoing medical checks.

Israel’s foreign ministry identified the first freed hostages as Guy Gilboa Dalal, Eitan Mor, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Gali and Ziv Berman, and Omri Miran.

The transfer marks a pivotal step in the initial phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal aimed at ending the long and devastating Gaza conflict.

Under the terms of the Trump-brokered ceasefire, Hamas was required to release the living hostages by midday Monday. In return, Israel will free 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 Gazans detained since the war began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks, which left more than 1,200 Israelis dead and dozens taken captive.

The exchange deal also includes the expected handover of the remains of an Israeli soldier killed in 2014, part of a broader humanitarian agreement aimed at resolving outstanding cases from past conflicts.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the release of Palestinian detainees would proceed “once Israel has confirmation that all of our hostages set to be released are across the border into Israel.” Officials cautioned that not all of the bodies of deceased hostages are expected to be returned on Monday.

In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum welcomed the news but stressed that “our struggle is not over. It will not end until the last hostage is located and returned for proper burial.”

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel on Monday, where he was greeted at Ben Gurion Airport by Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. Trump’s visit comes ahead of a major Gaza peace summit in Egypt, co-hosted with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, aimed at finalizing what Cairo has called a “document ending the war in the Gaza Strip”.

The summit, expected to include 21 nations and several international organizations, will feature leaders such as UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, along with representatives from the EU, Arab League, UAE, Pakistan, Indonesia, India, and Germany, are also expected to attend.

However, neither Israel nor Hamas will be represented at the summit. Israeli officials said no delegation would attend, while Hamas confirmed it would not send representatives.