In a historic breakthrough that has stirred both jubilation and cautious optimism, Israelis and Palestinians celebrated on Monday as a major hostage and prisoner exchange marked a turning point in the effort to end two years of devastating conflict in Gaza.
Under the first phase of a U.S.-brokered peace plan, Hamas released all surviving Israeli hostages, while Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The exchange followed a fragile ceasefire that began on Friday, allowing humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza over the weekend.
Emotional scenes unfolded across the region. In Israel, families wept and embraced loved ones who had endured more than two years in captivity. In Gaza and the occupied West Bank, thousands poured into the streets waving flags and singing as buses carrying freed Palestinians arrived.
U.S. President Donald Trump landed in Israel shortly after the first reunions and, in an address to the Knesset, declared the moment a “historic dawn in a new Middle East.” He later traveled to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for a summit attended by more than twenty global leaders, including representatives from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. There, the countries signed a declaration endorsing the ceasefire and committing to oversee the peace process as guarantors.
The agreement represents a major diplomatic milestone in a region long plagued by mistrust and bloodshed. Yet, even as families reunited and flags waved, leaders on both sides acknowledged that the path ahead would be complex and uncertain.