Expectations were high Sunday across Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas established Ahead of an important day for all factions and regions.
Preparations appeared to be underway for the release of the 48 hostages (dead or alive) remaining in Gaza and the release of hundreds more. Palestinian prisoners of war. Further reinforcements were being prepared for the Gaza Strip, much of it in ruins, after a two-year war that began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel. October 7, 2023 They killed about 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. Subsequent Israeli attacks have killed more than 67,600 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
US President Donald Trump He arrived in Israel on Monday and was scheduled to stay for a few hours before heading to Egypt.
What we know and what remains unknown:
737 days since the hostages were taken
Sunday was the 737th day since the hostages were taken. The pieces of sticky tape worn by many Israelis during national commemorations are updated daily.
Israel announced on Sunday that it expected the 20 living hostages to be released en masse on Monday. They were then to be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Israeli military, which planned to take them to the Reims military base in southern Israel to be reunited with their families.
Israel then made plans to take the hostages to centers across Israel, but asked the Red Cross to provide an ambulance in case the hostages, who had been held there for more than two years, needed urgent medical treatment.
It seems unlikely that the remains of up to 28 other people will be returned at the same time. One cease-fire document includes provisions regarding remains not returned within 72 hours, which medical experts and advocates say is critical to starting the healing process for many families and society at large.
Israel said on Sunday that “international organizations” would help find the bodies if they were not released tomorrow.
Palestinian prisoners scheduled for release
As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel plans to release about 2,000 Palestinians. They include around 1,700 people seized from Gaza by the military during the war and subsequently detained without charge.
There are also some released 250 Palestinians sentenced to prison.
Many of them are members of Hamas and Fatah factions. jailed for shootings, bombings, and other attacks those who murdered or attempted to murder Israelis, and others convicted of lesser charges. They will either return to the West Bank or Gaza or be deported.
It is unclear who will be among the prisoners returned to Gaza or whether any will be deported.
Aid amounts expected to surge in Gaza
Humanitarian groups said they were preparing to ramp up aid to the Gaza Strip, especially food, which is in short supply in many areas.
They include about 400 trucks that came from Egypt on Sunday and must undergo Israeli inspection before being allowed onto the Strip. Israel’s defense agency, which is in charge of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, announced that about 600 aid trucks per day would soon enter the country, under the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
The bigger challenge is rebuilding gaza The situation is dire, with much of the city in rubble and most of its 2 million residents evacuated.
President Trump visits Israel and Egypt
President Trump, who pushed for a ceasefire agreement, is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Monday morning.
On Saturday night, the Jerusalem City Hall building was draped in a giant American flag, and the American and Israeli flags were projected onto the walls of the Old City.
The White House schedule calls for Trump to meet with the families of the hostages and address the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, before heading to Egypt later Monday for a “peace summit” attended by regional and international leaders. From there he returned to the White House, where he was expected to arrive Tuesday night.
Difficult problems remain unsolved
ceasefire and release of hostages, proposed peace plan. Competing demands remain at the next stage, creating uncertainty as to whether the conflict is truly over.
Israel wants Hamas to disarm, and Hamas wants Israel to withdraw its troops from all of Gaza. The future of the Gaza government, which has been in the hands of Hamas for two decades, also remains unresolved.
The Gaza Ministry of Health does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, but says about half of the 67,600 dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the United Nations and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimates of wartime casualties.
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