Gaza ceasefire: Hamas releases all 20 hostages, Israel 1,900 prisoners
The releases came as President Donald Trump was in Israel to celebrate the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.
PTI
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Gaza's Health Ministry says the bodies of 60 Palestinians have been recovered from under the rubble. (PTI)
Deir Al-Balah, 13 Oct
Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages on Monday as
part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the Gaza Strip,
killing tens of thousands of Palestinians.
The releases came as President Donald Trump was in Israel to
celebrate the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas,
an agreement that he declared had effectively ended the war and opened the door
to building a durable peace in the Middle East.
Under the deal, Israel released over 1,900 Palestinian
prisoners and is to allow a surge of food and aid supplies into famine-stricken
Gaza.
Trump will discuss the US-proposed deal and postwar plans
with other leaders in Egypt later Monday.
Here's the latest:
The bodies of 60
Palestinians were recovered in Gaza
Gaza's Health Ministry says the bodies of 60 Palestinians
have been recovered from under the rubble of destroyed buildings and brought to
hospitals in the last 24 hours.
That brought the number of recovered bodies to 200 in the
past four days since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect and
Israeli troops pulled back from some parts of Gaza.
The ministry says many dead are still under the rubble,
particularly in areas inaccessible to first responders.
Israel's campaign in Gaza killed more than 67,800
Palestinians, according to the health ministry. The ministry doesn't
distinguish between civilians and combatants but says around half of the dead
were women and children.
Iran declines
invitation for Gaza summit
Iran's Foreign Ministry said it declined an invitation to
attend the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in Egypt, based on its interests as well as
the US “unilateralistic policy.”
The spokesman for the ministry, Esmail Baghaei, told
reporters that the decision came after discussion both inside the ministry and
other decision-making bodies in the country. “Positive and negative dimensions
of any decision, including participation and avoiding participation, were
calculated and eventually led to a decision that secures betterments and
interests of the country.”
UN chief says he is
profoundly relieved
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he is “profoundly
relieved” that the Israeli hostages in Gaza have regained their freedom and
will be reunited with their families after the “immense suffering” they have
endured.
Guterres, in a statement, also reiterated his call for the
release of the remains of the deceased hostages. The statement was issued from
Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where world leaders were gathering to throw their
weight behind the Gaza ceasefire deal.
“I urge all parties to build on this momentum and to honour
their commitments under the ceasefire to end the nightmare in Gaza,” Guterres
said. “The United Nations is working to support all efforts to end the conflict
in Gaza and alleviate the suffering of civilians.”
Erdogan will also
attend the Gaza summit in Egypt
The Turkish leader, whose government played a key role in
brokering the Gaza ceasefire, is expected to deliver a speech and hold
bilateral talks with fellow leaders attending the summit, according to a
statement from his office.
The summit will be co-chaired by US President Donald Trump
and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and bring together leaders from
more than 20 countries.
Trump enters the
Knesset chamber ahead of his speech
Sustained applause and blaring trumpets greeted Trump. The
chamber was crowded with lawmakers but also US officials -- including Secretary
of State Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defence.
Dan Caine, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, was also
attending. Trump's speech was set to begin far later than originally scheduled.
He met beforehand with the families of some of the hostages
once held by Hamas in Gaza. Later on Monday, he was set to fly to Egypt to
participate in a summit with world leaders.
Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel arrive in the West
Bank and the Gaza Strip
Israel is freeing more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees on
Monday after Hamas released all remaining living hostages held in Gaza under
the ceasefire deal.
The buses arrived in Ramallah, in the Israel-occupied West
Bank, after leaving Ofer prison. At least one bus also crossed into the Gaza
Strip, the Hamas-run Prisoners Office said.
Egypt says Trump
engagement crucial for Gaza ceasefire
Egypt's foreign minister tells The Associated Press that the
success of President Donald Trump's vision for peace in the region is his
continued commitment, including applying pressure on the parties, and “even
deployment on the ground” of an international force expected to carry out
peacekeeping duties.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Monday it is crucial to
ensure that Israel and Hamas fully implement the first phase of the ceasefire
deal so that the parties, with international backing, can begin negotiations on
the second phase. That is more difficult, more complicated, and we have to keep
President Trump engaging. It is very, very important because it is all about
his engagement.”
A Hamas spokesman has welcomed Trump's remarks that the war
in Gaza is over.
Writing on the Telegram messaging app, Hazem Kassem urged
mediators and the international community to ensure that Israel won't resume
the war.
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