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Gaza Deal Releases Hostages, Prisoners 10/13 06:16
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) -- Hamas released all 20 remaining living
hostages held in Gaza on Monday, while Israel began releasing hundreds of
Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that
pummeled the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and had left
scores of captives in militant hands.
Cheering crowds greeted buses of prisoners in the West Bank, while families
and friends of the hostages gathered in a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, cried out
with joy and relief as news arrived that the captives were free.
The hostages, all men, have arrived back in Israel, where they will reunite
with family and undergo medical checks. The bodies of the remaining 28 dead
hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the
exact timing remained unclear.
Buses carrying dozens of freed Palestinian prisoners arrived in Beitunia,
near the West Bank city of Ramallah, and in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run
Prisoners Office said, as Israel began releasing more than 1,900 prisoners and
detainees as part of the ceasefire deal.
While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the
exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war
ever between Israel and the militant group. The ceasefire is also expected to
be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are
experiencing famine.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that he was "committed to
this peace" in a speech to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.
U.S. President Donald Trump is also expected to address the Knesset, and
later will attend a summit to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans
with other leaders.
The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on
southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians,
were killed and 251 taken hostage.
In Israel's ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been
killed, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate
between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and
children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and
many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate
of wartime casualties.
The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously
made inaccessible by fighting.
The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its
some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region,
sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel
denies.
"Much of Gaza is a wasteland," U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the
AP on Sunday.
Hostages freed
In Tel Aviv, families and friends of the hostages who gathered in a square
broke into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the first
group of hostages was in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of
Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country.
Israel released the first photos of the freed hostages, including one
showing 28-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman embracing as they were reunited.
Hostages previously released had said the twins from Kfar Aza were held
separately.
The photos of the first seven hostages showed them looking pale but less
gaunt than some of the hostages freed in January.
Meanwhile, the Hostages Family Forum, a grassroots organization representing
many of the hostage families, said four bodies were expected to return to
Israel on Monday. The group said it was "shocked and dismayed" that so few were
coming back.
An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are
not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israel's coordinator for the
hostages and the missing.
Earlier, while Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners
held by Israel, an armored vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and
rubber bullets at a crowd in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. As drones buzzed
overhead, the group scattered.
The tear gas followed the circulation of a flier warning that anyone
supporting what it called "terrorist organizations" risked arrest. Israel's
military did not respond to questions about the flier, which The Associated
Press obtained on site.
The prisoners being released 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. They will be returned to the West Bank
or Gaza or sent into exile.
A painful chapter
The return of the living hostages caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since
they were captured in the attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked
their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in
solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly
demonstrations calling for their release.
As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused Netanyahu of dragging his feet
for political purposes, even as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week,
under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the
bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire.
Trump in Israel and Egypt
Trump arrived Monday in Israel, where he was to speak at the Knesset,
Israel's parliament. Vice President JD Vance said Trump was likely to meet with
newly freed hostages.
"The war is over," Trump told to reporters as he departed -- even though his
ceasefire deal leaves many unanswered questions about the future of Hamas and
Gaza.
Among the most thorny 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 the wide strip along the
length of Gaza's border with Israel.
The future governance of Gaza also 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.
Later Monday, Trump will head to Egypt, where he and Egyptian President
Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit with leaders from more than 20
countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East.
Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian
Authority, will attend, according to a judge and adviser to Abbas, Mahmoud
al-Habbash.
Egypt's presidency said Netanyahu would attend as well, but the Israel
leader's office later said he would not because due to a Jewish holiday.
The plan envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority --
something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which
administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping reform program that
could take years.
The plan also calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza,
along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It said Israeli
forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 U.S. troops are now
in Israel to monitor the ceasefire.
The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state,
another nonstarter for Netanyahu.
___
This story has been updated to correct that cheering crowds greeted
prisoners in Beitunia, not Ramallah.
___
Magdy reported from Cairo and Lidman from Jerusalem. Associated Press
writers Josef Federman in Truro, Massachusetts; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Jalal
Bwaitel in Ramallah, West Bank, and Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel 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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