Israel and Hamas completed the first phase of a U.S.-backed ceasefire deal, concluding the transfer of the last living Israeli hostages and immediately triggering the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners.
The exchange successfully concluded the most sensitive humanitarian component of the truce but immediately exposed deep divisions at a multinational peace summit convened in Egypt's seaside Sharm El-Sheikh.
The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed on Monday that its staff received 13 final captives, all adult men, in the Gaza Strip, completing the release of all 20 living people held by the militant group.
That fulfilled the central precondition of the deal, immediately triggering the Israel’s reciprocal release of 1,968 Palestinian detainees. Hamas confirmed a preliminary handover of the remains of four dead Israeli captives, leaving a timetable for the last 24 bodies up for more negotiation.
The Israel Prison Service confirmed the group of freed Palestinians included 250 individuals serving long or life sentences for security convictions, alongside 1,718 arrested following the initiation of the two-year conflict.
ICRC said its teams received the hostages held in Gaza, transferring them to Israeli authorities, and separate operations transferred Palestinians from Israeli detention to Gaza and the West Bank. It also facilitated the transfer of remains so families could bury loved ones properly.
In its neutral, humanitarian, and intermediary role, ICRC emphasized, it was not involved in the negotations and had nothing to do with the terms of the ceasefire agreement, including who was released and the timeline.
"These operations are highly complex and require meticulous logistical and security planning to minimize the risk to life for anyone involved," the Geneva-based organization said. "It is the responsibility of the parties to the agreement to ensure they are conducted safely and with dignity."
Under previous deals, ICRC facilitated the release and transfer of 148 hostages and 1,931 detainees since October 2023.
While scenes of jubilation erupted in the occupied West Bank upon the arrival of convoys from Ofer Prison, a majority — more than 1,700 — were returned to the Gaza Strip.
A key provision of the pact stipulated that more than 150 high-profile prisoners were deported directly to Egypt via the Rafah crossing, a measure intended to restrict their return to West Bank communities and limit their potential for future militant activity.
The success of the exchange proceeded parallel to intense diplomatic maneuvering aimed at defining and securing the post-conflict phase.
Summit opens on future of Gaza and ruins of war
Earlier in the day, U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the Knesset in Jerusalem, formally declaring that, in his administration’s judgment, the war had reached its conclusion.
Later in the afternoon, Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi co-chaired the "Summit for Peace" in Sharm El-Sheikh, attended by leaders from more than 20 nations.
The summit’s core agenda focused on building international consensus for the peace framework's next phase, specifically tackling the sensitive issues of Hamas disarmament, the establishment of a transitional governing body in Gaza, and the deployment of a multinational stabilization force.
Failure to secure clear, actionable commitments on these three fundamental points threatens the longevity of the initial ceasefire.
The fourth consecutive day of the ceasefire simultaneously revealed the profound scale of destruction across Gaza. As hundreds of thousands of displaced residents attempted the perilous journey back to northern districts, they encountered urban areas where the vast majority of structures had been severely compromised or reduced to rubble.
Palestinian rescue crews working amid the ruins recovered more than 295 bodies trapped beneath the debris, underscoring the conflict's staggering humanitarian cost, which the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry estimates now exceeds 55,600 fatalities.
