Deir Al-Balah (Gaza Strip), Oct 13 (AP) – A pivotal day is unfolding in the Middle East as Israel commenced the process of receiving the last 20 living hostages held by Hamas. Concurrently, Israel has released a portion of the nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of a landmark Gaza ceasefire agreement.
On Monday, President Donald Trump arrived in Tel Aviv aboard Air Force One, receiving a red carpet welcome. He is scheduled to address the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem before proceeding to Egypt to partake in a ceremony centered around the ceasefire agreement.
Preparations are underway to ramp up aid for Gaza, largely in ruins after two years of conflict initiated by Hamas-led militants attacking Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and the abduction of about 250 individuals. In response, Israel conducted an offensive leading to over 67,600 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Hostages are being released
On Monday, the 738th day since the hostage crisis commenced, Israel has been witnessing the return of 20 living hostages, who will reunite with their families and subsequently receive medical care, as per the Israeli military reports.
Hamas released seven hostages followed by 13 more on Monday. In the exchange, Israel is anticipated to release over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. This exchange forms the initial phase of a peace initiative, facilitated by the Trump administration, which seeks to cease the two-year Israel-Hamas war.
The return of the remains of up to 28 other hostages remains uncertain. Medical professionals and advocates stress the importance of initiating the healing process for families and society, though one ceasefire document outlines conditions regarding remains not returned within 72 hours post cessation of hostilities, expected around noon Monday in the Middle East (0900 GMT).
On Sunday, Israel indicated that an “international body” would assist in locating remains if unreturned by Monday.
Palestinian prisoners released
Monday saw the arrival of buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners to the West Bank city of Ramallah and the Gaza Strip, as conveyed by the Hamas-run Prisoners Office.
These individuals represent the initial group released from approximately 1,700 people detained during the conflict and held without charges, alongside roughly 250 Palestinians serving sentences for various attacks. Many released are affiliated with Hamas and the Fatah faction and were imprisoned for involvement in shootings, bombings, or other attacks against Israelis, while others faced lesser charges. They are expected to return to the West Bank or Gaza or face possible exile.
The specifics concerning which prisoners will return to Gaza or face deportation remain unclear.
Aid expected to surge in Gaza
Humanitarian organizations are gearing up to escalate aid into the Gaza Strip, focusing particularly on food supplies that have been critically scarce in many areas.
This endeavor involves around 400 trucks from Egypt, set for Sunday, pending Israeli inspection prior to entry into the Strip. The Israeli defense body responsible for humanitarian aid in Gaza stated that approximately 600 aid trucks per day will soon commence entry, as delineated in the ceasefire agreement.
The outlook presented by leading authorities on food crises back in August depicted a famine engulfing Gaza City, projected to intensify across the region without a ceasefire and an end to restrictions on humanitarian aid.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification identified Gaza City's situation as dire, foreseeing the famine spreading south to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis, assuming no significant change.
The large-scale task of reconstructing Gaza is formidable, with much of the area reduced to rubble and most of its two million residents displaced.
Trump to travel to Israel and Egypt
President Trump, having played a significant role in securing the ceasefire deal, arrived in Israel to a red carpet welcome on Monday morning.
Greeting him were Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, First Lady Melania Trump, daughter Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, and advisor Steve Witkoff, who is believed to be leading the US negotiation team in Egypt.
Following meetings with the families of hostages, Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, before traveling to Egypt for a “peace summit” attended by both regional and international leaders. From there, he is expected to return to the White House, arriving overnight Tuesday.
Daunting issues remain unsolved
The ceasefire and the release of hostages are pivotal measures in the proposed peace plan, yet competing demands on subsequent steps cast uncertainty on whether the conflict is entirely resolved.
Israel demands the disarmament of Hamas, whereas Hamas calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all of Gaza. Additionally, the future governance of Gaza, which has been under Hamas control for two decades, remains unresolved.
While Gaza's Health Ministry reports approximately half of the 67,600 deaths were women and children, the ministry's figures, part of the Hamas-run government, are widely considered by the UN and numerous independent experts as reliable estimates for wartime casualties. (AP) SKS SKS
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