Hamas will release all Israeli hostages by Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday, confirming that the Palestinian resistance group has already begun organizing the transfer. Trump also expected to join peace talks in Cairo, Egypt, on Monday, as efforts to end months of bloodshed gain momentum, BBC reported.
Following the ceasefire, at least 200,000 Palestinians have returned to Gaza, according to the enclave’s Defense Ministry. Israeli troops have begun partial withdrawals from several areas under the terms of the truce, though restrictions on civilian reentry remain in parts of the territory.
Amid ruins and uncertainty, Gaza’s streets are slowly coming back to life. Families who fled weeks of relentless bombardment have started returning—on foot or by vehicle—to neighborhoods reduced to rubble. “People are returning to nothing but ashes,” one local resident said.
Local rescue teams reported pulling more than 150 bodies from collapsed buildings on Saturday. Much of Gaza lies in ruins after months of Israeli airstrikes and ground assaults.
President Trump confirmed that negotiations are underway to consolidate all hostages before their release. U.S. military observers have already arrived in Israel to monitor the situation. Before heading to Cairo for peace talks, Trump scheduled to address the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that although the ceasefire was reached through U.S. mediation. A full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza “will not take place.”
Israel has published photos of the remaining living hostages held by Hamas and released a list of 250 Palestinian prisoners expected to be freed as part of the agreement.
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Several Hamas-aligned groups, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad, warned against any “foreign interference” in Gaza’s internal affairs, signaling potential tension even as the ceasefire takes hold.
As the region enters a fragile calm, Gaza stands between devastation and a faint promise of renewal.
