‘Our nightmare is coming to an end’: Trump flies to Israel and Egypt to push through last critical hours of Gaza ceasefire
Donald Trump is en route to Israel and Egypt to oversee the critical hours of a Gaza ceasefire he helped broker, as relatives of hostages “held their breath” ahead of their expected release
For the first time, Hamas militants have agreed to release all 48 remaining hostages – 20 alive, 26 confirmed dead, and two whose lives were “serious danger” with an unknown status. The deadline for Hamas to return the captives who have been held for two years expires at midday Monday (10am BST).
Shortly afterwards, 1,700 Palestinians detained from Gaza since October 2023 and 250 more serving life sentences will be released from Israeli detention. The bodies of 360 Palestinians Israel is holding will also be returned.
Israeli spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said Israel was ” prepared and is ready” for the release, adding that the living hostages will be released in one go to Red Cross vehicles, but warned against “any sick displays by Hamas”. during the handover.
A lot is riding on the exchange: if it proceeds as planned, a fragile ceasefire will hold and hopefully progress to second phase of a long-term agreement. The truce so far has also allowed a limited Israeli military withdrawal and so the return of tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians.
On Sunday, Palestinian families continued the perilous journey north to what remains of their homes, after two years of slaughter, famine, and forced displacement. Others flocked to the additional much needed trucks of aid that have finally been permitted to enter.
Trump has staked his desired reputation as a peacemaker president on this deal which he has heralded as a “momentous breakthrough” that will deliver “everlasting peace in the Middle East”. And so as the clock is ticking, he has scheduled a whirlwind visit to both Israel and Egypt to push it through after previous truces collapsed or stalled at the initial phase.
He is expected to land in Israel at 9.20am local time, where he will be welcomed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then address the Knesset, and meet the families of hostages. By lunchtime, he will fly to Egypt to attend a formal signing ceremony, joining British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer.
In anticipation of his arrival, roads between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem have been lined with US and Israeli flags, as well as towering posters thanking the US president .
In Hostages Square, a main rallying point in Tel Aviv, tension crackled. In the final hours before the deadline, rumours circulated that Hamas might release the hostages as early as Sunday and the remains of some of the deceased have not been received. Hamas reportedly does not know the locations of all the bodies.
Ilan Dalal, father of Guy Gilboa‑Dalal, 22 who was taken by Hamas militants during their bloody 7 October raid on the Nova music festival, said Sunday night the family felt relief and fear.
Gilboa‑Dalal, who has been in captivity for two years, appeared haggard and thin alongside fellow captive Evyatar David, in a disturbing video released by Hamas in September.
“Our nightmare is finally is coming to an end now. Tomorrow morning I’m going to hug my son for the first time after two years,” Ilan said with visible emotion.
“But I don’t know what kind of son I’m going to get back. I hope that he wasn’t so harmed that we can’t easily rebuild his life. In the last video, Hamas published, we saw the despair in his eyes.”
