Countdown to hostage release as Trump to host Gaza peace summit
**Hamas to Release Remaining Hostages Amid Preparations for Middle East Peace Summit**
*Gaza City (Palestinian Territories)* — Hamas has announced it will release its remaining hostages on Monday and will play no role in Gaza’s future government, AFP reports. This announcement comes as US President Donald Trump and other world leaders prepare to convene in Egypt for a major peace summit aimed at ending the conflict in the region.
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**Trump’s Diplomatic Tour and Upcoming Peace Summit**
On Monday, President Trump will first visit Israel, where he is scheduled to address parliament and meet with families of hostages before heading to Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh for the peace summit. According to the Egyptian foreign ministry, a “document ending the war in the Gaza Strip” is expected to be signed at the summit.
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**Humanitarian Aid and Challenges in Gaza**
As Israeli families anxiously await the return of their loved ones with relief, many Palestinians sift through the ruins of their homes in Gaza City. Aid trucks have begun to deliver much-needed supplies following the third day of a ceasefire. However, residents in Khan Yunis, located in the south of the Gaza Strip, reported chaotic scenes where some shipments were being ransacked by starving locals.
“We don’t want to live in a jungle. We demand aid be secured and respectfully distributed,” said Mohammed Zarab. He described the distressing sight of food scattered on the ground and trampled by people and vehicles.
Mahmud Al-Muzain, a bystander, remarked that the desperate seizure of aid supplies reflected Gaza’s lack of trust in the long-term success of the ongoing US-led peace negotiations. “Everyone fears the war will return. People steal the aid and store it in their homes,” he said. “We stockpile food out of fear and worry that the war will come back.”
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**Returning to Ruins: Personal Stories from Gaza**
Among those returning to devastated neighborhoods is 38-year-old Fatima Salem. She recounted the emotional impact of coming back to Sheikh Radwan in Gaza City after Israeli forces withdrew.
“I returned with my heart trembling,” Fatima told AFP. “My eyes kept searching for landmarks, but I had lost everything. Nothing looked the same — even the neighbors’ houses were gone.”
Despite her exhaustion and fear, Fatima felt a bittersweet connection to her ruined home. “I missed the smell of my home, even if it’s now just rubble. We will pitch a tent next to it and wait for reconstruction.”
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**Hostage Release and Israeli Reactions**
Israelis are eagerly anticipating Monday’s release of the remaining 48 hostages held by Hamas, both living and deceased. On Saturday night, large crowds gathered in Tel Aviv to support hostage families and show appreciation for US peace envoy Steve Witkoff. Thousands filled “Hostage Square,” a central site for protests and vigils since Hamas’s unprecedented attacks on October 7, 2023.
Chants of “Thank you Trump!” echoed through the crowds, reflecting the nation’s hope and gratitude.
“My emotions are immense,” said Einav Zangauker, whose 25-year-old son, Matan Zangauker, is among those held hostage. “There are no words to describe them—for me, for us, for all of Israel, which wants the hostages home and waits to see them all return.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed readiness for the hostages’ return, stating Sunday that Israel was “prepared and ready for the immediate reception of all our hostages.”
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**The Prisoner Exchange Deal**
During the October 7 attack on Israel, militants seized 251 hostages, which led to the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians. Hamas plans to release the captives in exchange for nearly 2,000 prisoners currently held in Israeli jails.
“According to the signed agreement, the prisoner exchange is set to begin on Monday morning,” Hamas official Osama Hamdan confirmed in an interview with AFP.
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**The Regional Peace Summit**
Following his visit to Israel, President Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will co-chair a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, bringing together leaders from over 20 countries. The Egyptian presidency stated the summit aims:
> “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and French President Emmanuel Macron are all expected to attend. However, Hamas and Israel are not anticipated to participate directly.
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**Hamas’ Position on Gaza’s Future**
Despite this apparent diplomatic breakthrough, mediators face the complex challenge of achieving a lasting political solution, one that includes Hamas relinquishing its weapons and stepping aside from governance in Gaza.
A Hamas source close to the group’s negotiating committee, speaking anonymously to AFP, stated that Hamas “will not participate at all in the transitional phase,” effectively relinquishing control of Gaza. The group, however, remains “a fundamental part of the Palestinian fabric.”
On the issue of disarmament, the official emphasized Hamas’s position: “Hamas agrees to a long-term truce, and for its weapons not to be used at all during this period, except in the event of an Israeli attack on Gaza.”
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**International Oversight and Security Arrangements**
Under the peace plan backed by the US, as Israel conducts a phased withdrawal from Gaza’s cities, control will be handed over to a multinational force composed of personnel from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. This force will be coordinated by a US-led command center based in Israel.
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**Casualties and Aftermath**
The conflict in Gaza has resulted in significant loss of life. According to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry, at least 67,682 people have been killed during Israel’s campaign, figures the United Nations considers credible. The data, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, indicates that more than half of the dead are women and children.
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