JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and Hamas moved ahead on a key first step of the tenuous Gaza ceasefire agreement on Monday by freeing hostages and prisoners, raising hopes that the U.S.-brokered deal might lead to a permanent end to the two-year war that ravaged the Palestinian territory.
But thornier issues such as whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza — and the question of Palestinian statehood — remain unresolved, highlighting the fragility of an agreement that for now only pauses the deadliest conflict in the history of Israel and the Palestinians.
For Israelis, the release of the 20 remaining living hostages brought elation and a sense of closure to a war many felt they were forced into by Hamas, although many pledged to fight on for the return of deceased hostages still in Gaza. But with the living hostages freed, the urgency with which many were driven to call for an end to the war will likely diminish, easing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance the next phases of the agreement.
Four deceased hostages were returned to Israel on Monday, and another 24 are supposed to be turned over as part of the first phase of the ceasefire, which also requires Israel to allow a surge of food and other humanitarian aid into Gaza.
While there was an outburst of joy in Gaza for prisoners returning from Israel and hope that the fighting may wind down for good, the torment drags on for war-weary Palestinians. Gaza has been decimated by Israeli bombardment; there is little left of its prewar economy, basic services are in disarray and many homes have been destroyed. It remains unclear who will pay for reconstruction, a process that could take years.
Israel says the deal achieves its war objectives
U.S. President Donald Trump traveled to the region to celebrate the deal. In an address to Israel's parliament, he urged lawmakers to seize a chance for broader peace in the region. In Egypt, he and other world leaders gathered to set the trickier parts of the deal into motion.
Netanyahu, who according to his office did not join the meeting in Egypt because of a Jewish holiday, told parliament that he was committed to the agreement, saying it “ends the war by achieving all our objectives.” Israel had said it would not end the war until all the hostages were freed and Hamas was defeated. Critics accused Netanyahu of allowing the war to drag on for political reasons, which he denied.
The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, when militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 captives. Israel’s retaliatory campaign killed more than 67,000 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its count. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government. Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate by the U.N. and many independent experts.
The war has rippled across the Middle East, with conflict erupting between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah, Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen and Iran itself.
Israel is elated by the return of the living hostages
Israelis watched with jubilation in public screenings attended by thousands as the 20 living hostages, all male, reunited with their families. Crowds broke into cheers, as tears of joy streamed down relieved faces.
“You are alive! Two arms and two legs,” said Zvika Mor, upon seeing his son Eitan for the first time in two years.
When Bar Kupershtein was reunited with his family, his father, Tal, who uses a wheelchair after a car accident and stroke, fulfilled a promise to himself by standing up for a few minutes to embrace his freed son.
Unlike previous releases, Hamas held no ceremonies for the captives before freeing them. Instead, families received video calls from masked militants who allowed them a first glimpse at their loved ones before they came home.
The plight of the hostages had widespread support in Israel, where thousands would join the families for weekly protests demanding Israel secure their release.
The fate of the hostages was a central driver of a movement in Israel to end the war. Many Israelis viewed Netanyahu’s twin goals of freeing the captives and defeating Hamas as incompatible.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said any delay by Hamas in retuning the remaining bodies of deceased hostages would be viewed as a violation of the ceasefire deal.
Israel frees some 1,900 Palestinian prisoners
Large crowds greeted freed prisoners in Beitunia in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Khan Younis in Gaza. The prisoners flashed V-for-victory signs as they descended from buses that took them either to the West Bank, Gaza or into exile.
“Praise be to God, our Lord, who has honored us with this release and this joy,” said Mahmoud Fayez, who was returned to Gaza after being detained early last year in an Israeli raid on the main Shifa Hospital.
The prisoners include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge.
The fate of the prisoners is a sensitive issue in Palestinian society, where almost everyone knows or is related to someone who has been imprisoned by Israel. They are viewed by Palestinians as freedom fighters.
Trump celebrates the deal in Israel and Egypt
In his Knesset speech, Trump told Israeli lawmakers their country must now work toward peace.
“Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms,” Trump said. “Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.”
His speech was briefly interrupted when two Knesset members staged a protest and were subsequently removed from the chamber. One held up a small sign reading, “Recognize Palestine.”
In Egypt, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Trump attended a summit with leaders from more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who administers parts of the West Bank, also attended.
Despite Trump's optimism, many thorny issues remain
Among the most difficult issues left to resolve is Israel’s insistence that a weakened Hamas disarm. Hamas refuses to do that and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza.
So far, the Israeli military has withdrawn from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gaza’s far north, and along the length of Gaza’s border with Israel.
The future governance of Gaza remains unclear. Under the U.S. plan, an international body will govern the territory, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gaza’s government should be worked out among Palestinians.
The plan envisions an eventual role for Abbas’ Palestinian Authority — something Netanyahu has long opposed — but it requires the authority to undergo reforms.
The plan calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police. Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 U.S. troops are in Israel to monitor the ceasefire.
The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu.
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Magdy reported from Cairo and Shurafa from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Truro, Massachusetts; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Jalal Bwaitel and Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank; Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece, contributed to this report.
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Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
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