Translated with AI
Hamas militants have begun handing over the last of the Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), according to Israeli and international media reports.
The first stage of the release took place on the morning of Monday, October 13, in the Netzarim corridor in the northern Gaza Strip. Seven Israeli citizens, who had spent 737 days in captivity, were handed over. The second stage of the release is scheduled to take place in the southern city of Khan Yunis three hours later.
The freed hostages were handed over to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), after which they will undergo medical examination at the Re'im air base in southern Israel. The families of the hostages have already arrived to be reunited with their loved ones. The International Committee of the Red Cross reported that some of the hostages are in serious condition.
Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, the bodies of those killed in captivity must be returned within 72 hours of the release of the living.
US President Donald Trump attended the ceremony and plans to travel to Egypt to participate in the signing of a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on October 10. The first phase of the peace plan, developed with Trump's backing and agreed upon by both sides, calls for the exchange of the last hostages for Palestinian prisoners. In exchange, Israel will release approximately 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and approximately 1,700 other prisoners arrested since October 7, 2023. It also calls for the withdrawal of Israeli troops to an agreed-upon line in Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Strip.
The agreement and further steps remain subject to negotiations. Israel demands Hamas disarm, while the militants insist on the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Strip. The future of the Gaza Strip, which has been under Hamas control for two decades, also remains uncertain.
Meanwhile, humanitarian organizations are preparing to increase aid to the Strip, including the participation of approximately 400 trucks from Egypt , which are scheduled to undergo Israeli inspection before entering the fighting zone on October 13.
An international summit is planned in Sharm el-Sheikh to sign an agreement to end the war in Gaza. Mediators, as well as American and Israeli officials, will attend. Hamas will not participate in the ceremony. The meeting will be co-chaired by US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Participants include approximately 20 world leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The peace agreement provides for a set of measures to ensure security, humanitarian aid and a political settlement aimed at ending the long-standing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
