Gaza ceasefire: all living Israeli hostages freed as Trump arrives in Egypt for summit – latest updates

US president Donald Trump has boarded Air Force One and is now set to leave Israel to fly to Egypt for the Gaza peace summit.

He was seen on to the plane by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom the pair shared seemingly warm exchanges – although most of the conversation on the runway was inaudible due to the noise of the plane.

Trump and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will co-host a summit of more than 20 world leaders in Sharm El Sheikh.

The summit’s aim is “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability”, according to the Egyptian presidency.

The impressive aims of the meeting are matched by a similarly impressive guest list, many of whom have played a vital role in securing the ceasefire and hostage release deal that is currently in place.

William Christou is reporting for the Guardian from Ramallah:

Two busloads of Palestinian detainees were transferred from Israeli prisons to Ramallah, in the occupied West-bank, on Monday, where jubilant crowds awaited them.

In total, 88 of the nearly 2,000 prisoners were sent to the West Bank, with the rest deported to Gaza, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Commission.

Gaunt prisoners wrapped in the Palestinian keffiyeh flashed peace signs from the bus as the cheering crowd screamed their names.

Once the door of the bus was opened, police could not hold the surging crowd back. Family descended upon their loved ones, hugging them and carrying them on their shoulders towards waiting relatives. One prisoner rode his friend’s shoulders and with his fingers splayed into a V for victory, before collapsing before his mother’s feet.

“He’s been locked up for 24 years,” said a relative of Saber Masalma, a member of Fatah, the main faction of the Palestine Liberation Movement (PLO) who was arrested in 2002 and sentenced to life in prison on charges of conspiracy to cause death and placing explosive charges. Masalma had a phone shoved in his face, so that he could meet his nieces and nephews over video call for the first time.

Saber’s relative said that his condition had deteriorated dramatically over the last two years and that he barely recognised his brother after his dramatic weight loss.

“He looks like a dead body. But we will bring him back to life,” he said, laughing. They were off to a restaurant, where they would have to be careful that Saber does not eat too much, as his stomach is not used to much food after not eating well in prison.

Among the scenes of joy was also sorrow. Several families who had been told by the Israeli security services that their family members were coming home were surprised to see that their loved ones were not on the buses on Monday.

Prisoners told families that over a dozen prisoners had been taken last night from the main group so that they could be deported from Gaza, in a surprise to their families. Deportation to Gaza meant that it would be virtually impossible for families to see their loved ones again.

Seeing that their loved ones were not going to emerge from the buses as expected, a woman collapsed, while others began to wail.

“Why are they deporting him?,” a woman screamed in tears, as police officers rushed her away from the crowd.

The rest of the nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners were deported to Gaza, a small portion of whom would be exiled to neighbouring countries such as Turkey and Egypt.

Trump says he wants a peace deal with Iran, after the US oined Israel in striking the country’s nuclear sites during a brief war over the summer.

“They got it from one side, from the other, and you know it would be great if we could make a peace deal with them,” Trump said.

“Would you be happy with that? Wouldn’t it be nice, I think. Because I think they want to.”

The US, its European allies, and Israel accuse Tehran of using its nuclear programme to conceal efforts to try to develop the capability to produce weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.

Prior to Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June, Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks but faced major stumbling blocks such as uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, which western powers want to bring down to zero.

We have an update from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, who says it is “shocked and dismayed” to learn that only four of the 28 deceased hostages held by Hamas will be returned today.

The forum wrote in a post on X:

The hostage families were shocked and dismayed to learn that only 4 deceased hostages will be returned today, out of 28 held by Hamas. This represents a blatant breach of the agreement by Hamas.

We expect Israel’s government and the mediators to take immediate action to rectify this grave injustice.

The families of the deceased hostages are enduring especially difficult days filled with deep sorrow.

We will not abandon any hostage. The mediators must enforce the agreement’s terms and ensure Hamas pays a price for this violation.

We are not sure on the identities of the four hostages that will be returned today, and there has been no confirmation from Israeli officials on the number of bodies expected today.

Trump declares that the ceasefire agreement marks the end of Israel’s war on Gaza, as well as the end of the “age of terror and death”.

Speaking to the Knesset, the US president said:

This is not only the end of a war. This is the end of the age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God.

It’s the start of a grand concord and lasting harmony for Israel, and all the nations of what will soon be a truly magnificent region. I believe that, so strongly. This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East.

Donald Trump is now addressing the Israeli parliament. We will bring you the key lines from his speech.

At least 67,869 Palestinian people have been killed and 170,105 others injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October 2023, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Most of the people killed have been civilians, many of whom were women and children.

In a statement, the health ministry said the bodies of 63 people, including 60 recovered from rubble, arrived in hospitals across the Gaza Strip over the latest 24-hour reporting period. It said 39 people had been injured.

The health ministry, whose figures the UN finds credible, added:

A number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, as ambulance and civil defence teams are unable to reach them so far.

Netanyahu says Trump is the greatest friend Israel has ever had. “Donald Trump is the greatest friend that the State of Israel has ever had in the White House,” he told the Knesset.

“No American president has ever done more for the state of Israel, and as I said in Washington, it ain’t even close,” the Israeli prime minister said.

In reference to Trump’s Gaza plan, Netanyahu says it is a proposal “that opens the door to an historic expansion of peace in our region”.

“I’m committed to this peace, you are committed to this peace, and together we will achieve this peace,” he said.

Benjamin Netanyahu has started to address the Israeli parliament. He begins by paying tribute to Israeli soldiers who lost their lives in the war.

He goes on to thank Donald Trump for his role in putting forward the ceasefire agreement that led to the hostage exchange. The Israeli leader says Trump’s name will be “engraved in our history” and of the history of “humankind”.

“We know what your important part has been, a decisive part in the return decisive part in the return the rest of our hostages,” Netanyahu said.

“How long we’ve waited for this moment,” he added, “and I want to thank you personally on behalf of the whole nation.”

We reported earlier that an Egyptian presidency spokesperson had said that Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was to attend the “peace summit” taking place in Sharm el-sheikh later today.

But now Netanyahu’s office has clarified that although the Israeli leader was invited by the US to attend the Egyptian summit, he will not join it because it was too close to the start of a Jewish holiday.

Donald Trump has been given a huge standing ovation by those in attendance as he entered the Israeli parliament.

As a reminder, you can watch his speech live here:

The buses carrying Palestinian prisoners have now arrived in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.

As we have been reporting, about 1,700 detainees from Gaza and 250 Palestinian prisoners are being released today as part of the first stages of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire deal, which was helped brokered by the US, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey.

We are seeing excerpts from the speech Donald Trump is due to give to Israel’s parliament soon.

The US president is expected to say countries working together toward peace under the Gaza ceasefire agreement represents an “incredible triumph for Israel and the world”.

In excerpts from the speech, being reported by Reuters, Trump will say that Israel “has won all that can be won by force of arms”.

He will add that it is time to translate what he will described as “victories against terrorists” into peace and prosperity for the Middle East.

Israel has been left hugely isolated on the international stage because of its military conduct during its devastating war on Gaza, which was fuelled by US weaponry provided by both the Biden and Trump administrations.

More than 67,000 Palestinian people have been killed by Israeli attacks since the war began, according to the territory’s health ministry, most of them civilians.

Much of the territory has been reduced to rubble and its infrastructure destroyed by relentless Israeli aerial bombardments.

International arrest warrants against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, are in effect, and the UN’s highest court is considering allegations of genocide brought by South Africa.

The first of 38 buses carrying Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli prisons has crossed into Gaza, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Information Office.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will join the international peace summit in Egypt later, which will be co-chaired by US President Donald Trump and his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, the Egyptian presidency has said.

It was previously thought the Israeli leader would not be joining. Hamas has said it is not coming to the “peace summit” with regional and international leaders.

According to the Egyptian presidency, the summit will aim “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability”.

Among those who will attend are the UN secretary general, António Guterres, Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron.

The Guardian’s chief reporter, Daniel Boffey, has been reporting from the ground in Tel Aviv amid jubilant scenes across Israel as hostages were finally released by Hamas.

Here is an extract from his story, which you can read in full here:

Emotional footage was shared by Israeli broadcasters to an estimated 65,000 people gathered in front of large screens on “hostages square” in Tel Aviv and to millions more watching the coverage at home.

In a statement the family of Omri Miran, 48, who was abducted in front of his wife and two children during Hamas’s attack on Israel of 7 October 2023 at Nahal Oz kibbutz, said his return was a victory for “an entire people”.

They said: “After more than 700 long, painful, and agonising days, Omri will finally receive from [his children] Roni and Alma a healing embrace. We want to thank the people of Israel from the bottom of our hearts for standing by us in the darkest hours and on days when this moment seemed like a distant and impossible wish. This moment, today, is not a personal victory but a victory of an entire people.

“We also want to express our deep gratitude to the security forces and the heroic [Israel Defense Force] soldiers. We are at the beginning of a complex and challenging, yet moving, journey of recovery.

“We remain committed to the struggle until the last hostage returns, and until the complete recovery of our beloved country. May Omri’s return mark the beginning of this recovery and the unity of our people.”

The family of Matan Angrest, 22, an Israel Defense Force soldier captured when his tank was attacked by Hamas near the Gaza perimeter fence, who have been critical of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, over the continuation of the war, praised Donald Trump.

They said: “We can breathe again. Our Matan is home. Our beloved boy has been returned to us after two complex years, and we are so proud of him … A huge, historic, eternal thank you to the president of the United States and his team who worked with dedication and persistence for the rescue and return of our loved ones.

“The joy in our family is mixed with sadness for those murdered and for those who were not returned alive.”

In another update on X, the IDF has confirmed that it has received the 13 hostages in Gaza and are making their way to Israeli territory.

The IDF wrote:

13 hostages who were returned have now met IDF and Shin Bet forces in the Gaza Strip and they are making their way to Israeli territory 13 hostages who were returned are now being accompanied by IDF and Shin Bet forces on their way back home, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment.

The Israeli military has confirmed the second group of living Israeli hostages have safely been transferred to the Red Cross (see post at 09.08 for more details).

In a post on X, the IDF wrote:

According to the information received from the Red Cross now, 13 hostages have been transferred to their hands, and they are on their way to the IDF and Shin Bet forces in the Gaza Strip area.

The 13 hostages have been named in Israeli media as Elkana Bohbot, Avinatan Or, Yosef-Haim Ohana, Evyatar David, Rom Braslavski, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Matan Zangauker, Bar Kupershtein, David Cunio, and Ariel Cunio.

Donald Trump has said Hamas will comply with a plan to disarm, as he arrived at Israel’s parliament to deliver his address to the Knesset, according to Reuters.

The US president has previously indicated the issue of Hamas surrendering its weapons would be addressed in the second phase of the peace plan.

Hamas has appeared to, at least publicly, reject the idea of disarmament.

Footage is circulating of Donald Trump at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, before his historic address to Israeli parliamentarians.

Flanked by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the US president can be seen holding a book in which he wrote: “This is a great honour – a great and beautiful day. A new beginning”. Trump’s signature can be seen beside the text.

Amir Ohana, the Knesset speaker, welcomed Trump by saying “we’ve been longing for this day.” Some people in the gallery wore red hats that said ”Trump, The Peace President.”

A second group of 13 Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas to the Red Cross, according to Israeli public radio.

Hamas has confirmed that this means that all of the living Israeli hostages have now been released.

As a reminder, as per the terms of the ceasefire agreement, 20 living hostages were due to be handed over this morning, with the bodies of up to 28 also released.

The Israeli Government Press Office have released images of the seven Israeli hostages released by Hamas this morning.

Here is one of brothers Gali and Ziv Bermam:

Another picture shows freed hostage Alon Ohel meeting with Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip after being freed from Hamas captivity this morning.

Here is one of Eitan Mor, who was reportedly working as a security guard at the Nova music festival during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

Guy Gilboa-Dalal has also been pictured meeting Israeli soldiers in Gaza this morning. He was at the Nova festival two years ago, dancing with his brother in a grove of trees just a few miles from Gaza. Soon after, he was kidnapped by Hamas.

Here is a picture of Matan Angrest talking with an IDF officer upon his release from Hamas captivity this morning:

The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, also welcomed the release of seven Israeli hostages by Hamas, highlighting Donald Trump’s role in this “crucial milestone towards peace”.

She wrote in a post on X:

Today marks a rare moment of hope in the Middle East. The release of hostages is a major success for diplomacy and a crucial milestone toward peace. President Trump made this breakthrough possible. Securing peace in Gaza will be extraordinarily complex.

The peace plan requires strong international backing to succeed. The EU stands ready to do its part. On Wednesday, it will restart a civilian mission to monitor the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. This mission can play an important role in supporting the ceasefire.

The Trump administration’s Middle East envoy has praised the “vital role” of the UK in talks to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.

Steve Witkoff, who helped broker the ceasefire deal last week, lauded the “incredible input” of National Security adviser Jonathan Powell in a post on X early this morning.

Witkoff wrote:

I would like to acknowledge the vital role of the United Kingdom in assisting and coordinating efforts that have led us to this historic day in Israel.

In particular, I want to recognise the incredible input and tireless efforts of National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell.

It came after a suggestion from a UK cabinet minister on Sunday that the UK played a “key role” in securing the Gaza ceasefire was rejected by top US and Israeli figures, which looked to be potentially awkward for Keir Starmer, the British prime minister.

US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called Bridget Phillipson’s comments “delusional”, while Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel, rejected her characterisation of the UK’s role.

The IDF said the seven hostages handed over by Hamas earlier (see post at 07.24 for their names) have arrived at the “initial reception point” in Israeli territory.

They will soon undergo an initial medical evaluation and meet with their families at the reception point in the Gaza Envelope area, according to the IDF.

The Israeli military added in its social media post:

IDF representatives are accompanying all the families waiting at the hospitals and providing them with ongoing updates. The IDF is prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later.

The Israeli military has just posted an update about some of the remaining living hostages.

In a post on X, the IDF wrote:

According to received information, the Red Cross is on its way to another meeting point in the southern sector, where several hostages will be handed over to it.

You can watch Donald Trump as he is greeted by Benjamin Netanyahu in this live feed below:

Trump shakes hands with Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s president Isaac Herzog, with his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner watching on.

The US president, Donald Trump, has arrived in Israel to address the Israeli parliament, before he is scheduled to travel to Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh for a world leaders’ summit on ending Israel’s war on Gaza.

He has been greeted by his close ally, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, alongside US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who helped broker the ceasefire deal.

The IDF and Shin Bet spokespersons have formally announced that the seven released hostages have now crossed the border into Israeli territory with the army.

They said:

The returnees are currently on their way to the initial absorption point in the Gaza Strip where they will meet with their families. The IDF is prepared to absorb additional abductees who will later be transferred to the Red Cross.

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) has confirmed receiving the first seven hostages released under the first phase of Trump’s ceasefire deal.

In a statement published to X, the IDF wrote:

Seven returning hostages have now met IDF and Shin Bet forces in the Gaza Strip, and they are on their way to Israeli territory.

Seven returning hostages are currently being accompanied by IDF and Shin Bet forces on their way back home, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment.

The Israeli military has confirmed that seven hostages have been transferred to the Red Cross and are on their way to meet Israeli forces.

They are expected to be flown to Re’im military base in southern Israel.

A large crowd gathered to support hostage families in Tel Aviv erupted in celebration at the handover.

A social media post from the Israel Defence Forces said it was “prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later on”.

The Israeli government said earlier that it expected all 20 living hostages held in Gaza to be freed on Monday and that it was preparing for the release of about 2,000 Palestinian detainees under the ceasefire deal.

Daniel Boffey is in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv and has sent this report:

Thousands of people gathered at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv roared their approval as it was announced from a stage that the first seven live hostages had been released into Israeli army hands.

The reports have not been formally confirmed by the Israeli government or the Israeli Defence Force but those released are said by Israeli media to be Matan Engerst, Guy Gilboa Dalal, Alon Ohel, Eitan Tzur, Gali and Zivi Berman, Eitan Mor and Omri Moran. A later update did not include the name Eitan Tzur.

Jude Frajdenrajch, 55, waving an Israeli flag, said: “I have been coming here every Saturday to the square. I just wanted to see them come out.”

Hamas has released seven hostages into the custody of the Red Cross, the first to be released as part of the ceasefire deal, according to an Associated Press report.

There was no immediate information on their condition.

Israel media reports are also saying seven have been freed but that has not yet been official confirmed.

Families and friends of hostages broke out into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the hostages were in the hands of the Red Cross.

Tens of thousands of Israelis are watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv.

Hamas has said 20 living hostages will be exchanged for more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

A Red Cross convoy is on its way to pick up a first batch of Israeli hostages to be freed by Hamas as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Monday.

An army statement said the handover would take place at “a meeting point in the northern Gaza Strip where several hostages will be transferred”, Agence France-Presse reports.

“The IDF is prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later on,” the statement added after Hamas’s armed wing published a list of 20 surviving hostages it intended to release.

Hamas has published the names of more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners to be released under the ceasefire deal, news agencies are reporting.

Hamas has published the names of the 20 surviving Israeli hostages to be released on Monday.

Reuters reports the names include: Bar Abraham Kupershtein, Evyatar David, Yosef-Chaim Ohana, Segev Kalfon, Avinatan Or, Elkana Bohbot, Maxim Herkin, Nimrod Cohen, Matan Angrest, Matan Zangauker, Eitan Horn, Eitan Abraham Mor, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Omri Miran, Alon Ohel, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Rom Braslavski, Ariel Cunio and David Cunio.

The release of hostages held in Gaza is expected to begin at 8am local time, Israeli media is reporting.

The release is set to start from the Netzarim corridor and continue at 10am in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, say the reports, cited by Reuters.

It’s now 6.05am in Gaza and Tel Aviv.

Donald Trump and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will co-host a summit of more than 20 world leaders in Sharm El Sheikh on Monday, after the US president first visits Israel to speak at its parliament and meet families of the hostages.

The summit’s aim is “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East and usher in a new era of regional security and stability”, according to Egypt’s presidency.

The impressive aims of the meeting are matched by a similarly impressive guest list, many of whom have played a vital role in securing the ceasefire and hostage release deal now in place.

The continuing success of the agreement – and how closely the next stages match up to Trump’s 20-point peace plan – are all expected to be up for discussions at Monday’s summit.

But who is going to the Gaza meeting – and, importantly, who’s not? The answers are in our explainer here:

Donald Trump has questioned whether former UK prime minister Tony Blair will serve on a new “board of peace” that is intended to oversee the governance of Gaza.

The US president’s comments come amid ongoing criticisms of Blair for his role in the Iraq war that began in 2003.

“I’ve always liked Tony, but I want to find out that he’s an acceptable choice to everybody,” Trump said, without naming specific leaders who could be weighing in on his choice of Blair, Reuters is reporting.

The Gaza peace plan floated by the White House last month listed Blair as a member of the proposed board.

Trump made his remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One during his flight to Israel, where he is scheduled to address its parliament on Monday.

Trump is also set to attend a world leaders’ summit in Egypt aimed at formally ending the Gaza war, as the ceasefire enters its fourth day.

The mediating countries for the ceasefire deal on Gaza are to sign a document guaranteeing the agreement at Monday’s summit in Egypt, a diplomatic source has told the Agence France-Presse news agency.

“The signatories will be the guarantors – [the] US, Egypt, Qatar and likely Turkey,” the diplomat briefed on the signing ceremony said on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive arrangements.

The Egyptian foreign ministry said earlier that a document ending the war in Gaza was expected to be signed during the gathering hosted by the US and Egypt.

Donald Trump is en route to the Middle East after telling reporters the “war is over” and that he expects the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to hold.

The US president will meet families of the hostages in Israel before flying to Egypt for a “peace summit”.

It will be an eventful day. In Israel, families of the 20 remaining living hostages are preparing to welcome them home. Later on Monday, Israel will release about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. After that, the remains of some of the hostages who have died in Gaza are expected to be repatriated.

Follow us for all the latest news. In other developments:

• Israel expects all 20 living hostages to be released by Hamas on Monday at the same time. Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesperson for Benjamin Netanyahu, said: “Israel is prepared and is ready to immediately receive all of our hostages. The release of our hostages will begin early Monday morning.”

• Hamas is insisting seven Palestinian leaders should be freed in the hostage-prisoner swap, sources close to negotiators told Agence France-Presse.

• Leaders from more than 20 countries will attend a Gaza “peace summit” in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city Sharm el-Sheikh. The summit will finalise the agreement aimed at ending Israel’s war on Gaza.

• Trump departed late on Sunday to Jerusalem to speak at the Knesset – the Israeli parliament – roughly at the same time as the hostage-detainee swap is expected to happen, as well as meeting families of the hostages. He told reporters that “the war is over” in Gaza as he boarded Air Force One.

• After the hostages were freed, Israel was ready to release about 2,000 Palestinian detainees and receive the 28 hostages believed to be dead. US vice-president JD Vance told Fox News: “The reality is, some of the hostages we may never get back.”

• At least 67,806 Palestinian people have been killed and 170,066 others injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October 2023, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement today. Most of the people killed have been civilians, many of whom were women and children.

• Aid agencies said that, in line with the terms in the ceasefire agreement, they were preparing to “flood” Gaza with food and other essential supplies. Dozens of aid trucks entered Gaza on Sunday amid hope for a surge in humanitarian relief.

• Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hoped for a similar agreement to the Israel-Hamas ceasefire to put an end to the ongoing war between his own country and Russia.

• Thousands of Palestinians have continued to travel north towards the devastated Gaza City – the focus of Israeli attacks over the past two months – hopeful the ceasefire will bring an end to the war.