US president Donald Trump has hailed a “momentous” breakthrough and “the new beginning for an entire beautiful Middle East” after Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and detainees.
As he signed a ceasefire deal document with other leaders at a key summit in Egypt, Mr Trump spoke of how moved he was by seeing Israeli hostages being reunited with their families.
“It's a beautiful thing to see,” he said. “In one sense, it's so horrible that it could have taken place, but in another sense, it's so beautiful to see a new and beautiful day is rising.”
The president called for a new era of harmony in the Middle East as he signed a ceasefire deal document with leaders of Egypt, Turkey and Qatar after two years of war between Israel and Hamas in the devastated Gaza Strip.
Emotional reunions have taken place across Israel, Gaza and the West Bank after all 20 living Israeli hostages and captives were released by Hamas, before Israel released more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees.
Buses carrying dozens of freed Palestinians drove to the West Bank city of Ramallah and the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Prisoners Office said.
Key Points
- Donald Trump calls for era of harmony in Middle East
- Bodies of only four dead hostages to be returned
- Rich nations pledge cash to rebuild Gaza, says Trump
- Emotional scenes as freed Palestinian detainees arrive in Ramallah
- In pictures: Palestinians held in Israeli prisons return to Khan Younis
Harmony in Middle East ‘a once-in-a-lifetime chance’ to put old feuds behind, says Trump
04:10 , Namita SinghDonald Trump called for a new era of harmony in the Middle East, saying that the region has "a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us”.
Speaking at a gathering of world leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh, he urged leaders "to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past”.
Israel and Hamas came under pressure from the United States, Arab countries and Turkey to agree on the first phase of the ceasefire deal negotiated in Qatar through mediators. It began Friday.
On Monday, Trump, el-Sissi, the Qatari emir and the Turkish president signed a document. Trump said the document spelled out "a lot of rules and regulations and lots of other things, and it's very comprehensive”. The document was not shared with journalists in the room or made public.
The summit unfolded soon after Hamas released 20 remaining living Israeli hostages and Israel started to free hundreds of Palestinians from its prisons, crucial steps under the ceasefire. But major questions remain over what happens next, raising the risk of a slide back into war.
More than 20 world leaders attended the summit, including King Abdullah of Jordan, the French president and the British prime minister.
In pictures: Trump's 'day of peace'
04:00 , Jane Dalton
Egyptian president says Trump’s Mideast proposal is ‘last chance’ for peace in the region
03:49 , Namita SinghThe Egyptian president told a summit of world leaders Monday that US president Donald Trump's Mideast proposal represents the "last chance" for peace in the region and reiterated his call for a two-state solution, saying Palestinians have the right to an independent state.
The summit in Egypt's Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh was aimed at supporting the ceasefire reached in Gaza, ending the Israel-Hamas war and developing a long-term vision for governing and rebuilding the devastated Palestinian territory.
The gathering appeared designed to rally international support behind the Trump vision for putting an end to the war.
Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, the co-chair of the summit, told Trump "only you" can bring peace to the region.
Trump's plan holds out the possibility of a Palestinian state, but only after a lengthy transition period in Gaza and a reform process by the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes Palestinian independence. Trump made no mention of a two-state solution at the summit.
Recap: Trump calls for new era of peace, putting feuds in the past
03:00 , Jane DaltonDonald Trump called for a new era of harmony in the Middle East, saying that the region has "a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us”.
He urged leaders "to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past."
“From this moment forward, we can build a region strong and stable and prosperous and united in rejecting the path of terror once and for all. We want to get rid of the terror and get on to other things,” he said.
Watch: Tender moment hostages torn apart reunite
02:01 , Jane DaltonHow Trump and Netanyahu's visions differ
01:00 , Jane DaltonUS president Donald Trump and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu are offering strikingly different perspectives about the prospects for future peace despite lavishing each other with praise during speeches before the Knesset, Israel's parliament, on Monday.
Mr Trump declared Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip over and declared the ceasefire would usher in a new "dawn of a new Middle East".
But Mr Netanyahu has characterised the deal, which is still in its early stages, as "a proposal to free hostages and end the war".
He also said his country used two years of often brutal war in Gaza to showcase its military might. He said: "Our enemies now understand just how powerful and just how determined Israel is."
Joy, relief and tears as Israeli hostages reunited with families
Monday 13 October 2025 23:59 , Jane Dalton
Emotional moment Israeli hostages reunited with families after 737 days in captivity
Trump 'deserves great credit', says Clinton
Monday 13 October 2025 22:59 , Harriette BoucherFormer Democratic US President Bill Clinton has praised Donald Trump and his administration for their efforts in mediating a ceasefire agreement.
“President Trump and his administration, Qatar, and other regional actors deserve great credit for keeping everyone engaged until the agreement was reached,” he said in a statement.
“Now Israel and Hamas - with the support of the United States, the region, and the world - must try to turn this fragile moment into lasting peace that provides for the dignity and security of both Palestinians and Israelis.”
Israeli hostage forced to dig own grave reunited with family
Monday 13 October 2025 22:50 , Jane Dalton
Israeli hostage forced to dig own grave by Hamas reunited with family after two years
Police escort deceased hostages to forensic facility in Tel Aviv
Monday 13 October 2025 22:38 , Harriette BoucherThe coffins of four deceased Israeli hostages have arrived in Tel Aviv.
Police have escorted them to the National Centre of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir, where the identification process will continue.
Israeli police say forensic identification officers and volunteers from the police dental identification unit are prepared to carry out the identification alongside medical and forensic authorities.
Hamas announced earlier that it would return four of the 28 bodies of the deceased to Israel today. The other bodies are still awaiting release.
Trump hails step towards 'lasting' Middle East peace: full report
Monday 13 October 2025 21:50 , Jane Dalton
Watch: Trump jokes he won't get into heaven despite Gaza hostage deal
Monday 13 October 2025 21:01 , Bryony GoochVeteran journalist ‘regrets’ saying Israeli hostages ‘probably’ treated better than Gazans
Monday 13 October 2025 20:30 , Jane Dalton
What did CNN’s Christiane Amanpour say about Israeli hostages that was controversial?
Recap: Hamas fights back against Gaza foes, casting doubt on disarmament demand
Monday 13 October 2025 20:00 , Bryony GoochA greatly weakened Hamas has sought to reassert itself in Gaza since a ceasefire took hold, killing dozens of people in a crackdown on groups that have tested its grip and appearing to get a US nod to temporarily police the shattered enclave.
Pummelled by Israel during the war ignited by the October 7, 2023 attacks, Hamas has gradually sent its men back into the streets of Gaza since the ceasefire began on Friday, moving cautiously in case it suddenly collapses, according to two security sources in the territory.
On Monday, Hamas deployed members of its Qassam Brigades military wing as it freed the last living hostages seized two years ago. It was a reminder of one of the major challenges facing US president Donald Trump's effort to secure a lasting deal for Gaza, as the US, Israel and many other nations demand Hamas disarm.
Reuters footage showed dozens of Hamas fighters lined up at a hospital in southern Gaza, one wearing a shoulder patch identifying him as a member of the elite "Shadow Unit" that Hamas sources say was tasked with guarding hostages.
We've prevented World War Three, says Trump
Monday 13 October 2025 19:45 , Jane DaltonPresident Trump has suggested the US-brokered peace deal has prevented a third world war.
“I've read it many times that World War Three will begin in the Middle East,” he said. “It's not going to happen. That's not going to happen...
“...it's not going to start in the Middle East. We're not going to have a world war three, if we're smart, never be a world war three.
“Our work begins right here and right now.”
Peace accord kept under wraps
Monday 13 October 2025 19:25 , Jane DaltonUS president Donald Trump, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani all signed a document in Egypt that Mr Trump said would lay the groundwork for Gaza's future.
However, a copy was not made public.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined an invitation. His office said the summit was too close to a Jewish holiday.
'Once-in-a-lifetime chance to put feuds behind us,' warns Trump
Monday 13 October 2025 18:57 , Jane DaltonDonald Trump called for a new era of harmony in the Middle East at the global summit on Gaza's future, after visiting Israel to celebrate a US-brokered ceasefire.
"We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us," President Trump said, and he urged leaders "to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past".
"Everybody said it's not possible to do. And it's going to happen. And it is happening before your very eyes," Mr Trump said alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
Rich nations pledge cash to rebuild Gaza, says Trump
Monday 13 October 2025 18:27 , Jane DaltonNumerous wealthy countries have pledged money towards rebuilding Gaza, Donald Trump has announced.
“For the people of Gaza, the focus now must be on restoring the basics of a good life,” he said.
“We're going to have a lot of money coming into Gaza, and a lot of rebuilding and building. It's not so much rebuilding, it's really building, cleaning up and building.
“I'm pleased to announce that numerous countries of great wealth and power and dignity have come forward to me just today and over the last week to say they want to help in the reconstruction of Gaza, putting up whatever money is necessary.”
Watch: Trump signs Middle East peace deal
Monday 13 October 2025 18:20 , Jane DaltonSeeing hostages and families reunited beautiful, says Trump
Monday 13 October 2025 18:18 , Jane DaltonPresident Trump has told how moved he was by seeing Israeli hostages being reunited with their families.
He said: “The hostages are reuniting. I'm just watching it backstage... the level of love and sorrow – I've never seen anything like it.
“It's amazing when you see they haven't seen their mother, their father, they haven't seen them in such a long time.
“They lived in a tunnel, very little, tunnel, very deep, and the level of love is just incredible.
“It's a beautiful thing to see. In one sense, it's so horrible that it could have taken place, but in another sense, it's so beautiful to see a new and beautiful day is rising.”
Pakistani leader vows to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace prize – again
Monday 13 October 2025 18:13 , Jane DaltonPakistani leader Shehbaz Sharif told world leaders he will nominate Donald Trump a second time for the Nobel Peace prize, having previously done so.
Lavishing praise on the US president, Mr Sharif said: “I genuinely feel that he is the most genuine and most wonderful candidate for Peace Prize, because he has brought not only peace in South Asia, saved millions of people their lives and today, achieving peace in Raja is saving millions of lives in the Middle East.
“Mr President, I would like to salute you for your for your exemplary leadership, visual leadership. And I think that you are the man this world needed most at this point in time.”
Mr Trump said he had not been expecting that.
Rebuilding may be the easiest part, says Trump
Monday 13 October 2025 18:07 , Jane DaltonRebuilding Gaza may be the easiest part, Donald Trump has predicted.
“I think we've done a lot of the hardest part because the rest comes together,” he said.
“We all know how to rebuild, and we know how to build better than anybody in the world.”
Aid pouring into Gaza, Trump claims
Monday 13 October 2025 18:05 , Jane DaltonDonald Trump has claimed humanitarian aid is pouring into Gaza now, including hundreds of truckloads of food, medical equipment and other supplies.
Flanked by world leaders in Egypt, the US president said much of the aid was paid for “by people in this room”.
"After years of suffering and bloodshed, the war in Gaza is over. Humanitarian aid is now pouring in,” Mr Trump said.
Watch: Moment Palestinian prisoner Nadir Dar Ahmed freed in Ramallah
Monday 13 October 2025 18:00 , Bryony GoochHamas returns two more deceased Israeli hostages
Monday 13 October 2025 17:46 , Harriette BoucherHamas has handed over two more deceased Israeli hostages to Red Cross in Gaza, officials told Reuters.
Earlier today, Hamas was accused of breaching the Gaza ceasefire agreement after announcing it would only return four of the 28 bodies of the deceased to Israel today.
Two coffins of deceased hostages were also transferred earlier.
Trump receives 22 standing ovations during Knesset speech
Monday 13 October 2025 17:45 , Bryony Gooch
World leaders sign 'historic' ceasefire deal in Egypt
Monday 13 October 2025 17:34 , Harriette BoucherReporting by Andrew Feinberg, Washington DC correspondent.
Leaders from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey have signed the ceasefire deal alongside US President Donald Trump during the international summit in Egypt.
In his speech to world leaders, Trump said: “This is the day that people across this region and around the world have been working, striving, hoping, and praying for.
“With the historic agreement we have just signed, those prayers of millions have finally been answered. Together, we have achieved the impossible. At long last, we have Peace in the Middle East.
“The momentous breakthrough we are here to celebrate tonight is MORE than the end of the war in Gaza—with God’s help, it will be a new beginning for the entire Middle East. From this moment forward, we can build a region that is strong, stable, prosperous, and united in rejecting the path of terror once and for all.”
‘All we see is destruction’: Palestinians pulling bodies from the rubble of Gaza fear the fragile ceasefire will not last
Monday 13 October 2025 17:29 , Bryony Gooch
‘All we see is destruction’: Palestinians fear the fragile ceasefire will not last
Trump says it is a 'tremendous day' for the world
Monday 13 October 2025 17:25 , Harriette BoucherReporting by Andrew Feinberg, Washington DC correspondent.
US president Donald Trump has said it is “tremendous day for the world”.
Speaking to world leaders gathered in Egypt, he said: "You can see that this is probably the greatest assemblage of countries in terms of wealth and power, maybe ever assembled.
“We're going to be signing a document that's going to spell out a lot of rules and regulations and lots of other things, and it's very comprehensive, but we've already signed documents in the Middle East and having to do with Israel, Hamas and just about everything else. And it's it's really working out incredibly well."
Witkoff predicts long US presence in Middle East
Monday 13 October 2025 17:15 , Bryony GoochTrump's lead Middle East negotiator predicted a long presence by the US in the region following the ceasefire deal.
"We're dug in," said Witkoff, as Trump met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi in Sharm El-Sheikh. "We'll be here quite a bit. That's at the direction of the president."
Witkoff also praised Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, saying: "Jared is remarkable to work with."
"The minute we inked the deal, Jared and I were already working on the implementation side," Witkoff added.
Tony Blair, ex-UK prime minister, joins the summit on GazaFormer British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who Trump has suggested would play a key role in governing postwar Gaza, is attending a summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Blair was met by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi upon his arrival to the venue, according to the Egyptian presidency.
Under Trump's plan for Gaza, Blair would potentially lead a transitional authority that would run the Palestinian enclave. The proposed body would combine international expertise, technocrats, UN officials and Palestinian representatives, and would function under a UN mandate.
Gaza's displaced children have mixed reactions, from dancing and singing to crying, at news of ceasefire
Monday 13 October 2025 17:00 , Bryony GoochGaza’s displaced children have had a deeply emotional reaction to news of a ceasefire, according to a spokesperson from SOS Children’s Villages Palestine.
“Among SOS team, emotions are intense and often conflicting,” the spokesperson told The Independent. “After witnessing people lose everything, their homes, loved ones, and livelihoods, many of my colleagues express deep gratitude simply for being alive and with their families. Yet, that gratitude is mixed with grief, as we all carry the weight of knowing that thousands of children and families have been lost.
“One of our colleagues said: ‘I keep wondering if my house is still standing. I want to see a real ceasefire, one that lasts, so I can go home and see what’s left.’”
Some children reportedly started singing and dancing, while those who have lost parents or siblings started crying.
The spokesperson said: “One little boy asked a heartbreaking question: ‘When the war stops, will my mother come back?’
“His mother had been killed while trying to bring food for her children. His words capture both the innocence and the unbearable pain that so many children here live with every day.”
The Independent spoke to staff of the Children’s Village in Gaza earlier this year:
Ireland to commit millions in further aid for Gaza
Monday 13 October 2025 16:50 , Bryony GoochIreland will have to commit millions of euro in further aid for Gaza in the coming months, the Cabinet will be told.
Tanaiste Simon Harris is to update Cabinet colleagues on Tuesday about a "substantial aid package" to Gaza from Ireland.
It comes after he announced an additional six million euro to aid organisations in Gaza on Monday, including Unicef, the World Health Organisation and the World Food Programme.
Ireland has joined the Emergency Coalition for the Financial Sustainability of the Palestinian Authority (PA), a group established in response to the urgent and unprecedented financial crisis confronting the PA.
It is likely that in addition to the immediate aid package, Ireland will also ultimately commit funding for the reconstruction of Gaza.
Scotland's first minister says two-state solution must be allowed to prevail to end conflict between Israel and Palestine
Monday 13 October 2025 16:40 , Bryony GoochScotland’s first minister John Swinney has said a “two-state solution” must be allowed to prevail, to end the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
He said images of hostages being released and families reunited were “deeply moving, deeply humbling” and “remind us that even in the darkest of days, hope can prevail”.
But he said that nations “must all step up to secure the peace”.
Mr Swinney said: “To turn hope into reality for Israel and Palestine, for the displaced, the distraught and the destitute, aid must flow.”
He added: “Every life is sacred and of equal value.
“And every family, whether Palestinian or Israeli, deserves to live in peace and dignity.
“A two-state solution must be delivered and peace must prevail.”
Aid expected to surge in Gaza
Monday 13 October 2025 16:30 , Bryony GoochHumanitarian organizations have said they're preparing to surge aid into the Gaza Strip, especially food that's been in short supply in many areas.
That included some 400 trucks from Egypt on Sunday that will have to undergo Israeli inspection before being distributed in the strip. The Israeli defense body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza said around 600 trucks of aid per day will be entering soon, under the ceasefire agreement.
The world's leading authority on food crises said in August that the Gaza Strip's largest city was gripped by a famine that was likely to spread across the territory without a ceasefire and an end to restrictions on humanitarian aid.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said famine was devastating Gaza City — home to hundreds of thousands of people. That famine was expected to spread south to the cities of Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by around now if the situation did not change. The larger task of rebuilding Gaza is daunting, as much of it is in rubble and most of its two million residents displaced.
In pictures: Palestinians held in Israeli prisons return to Khan Younis
Monday 13 October 2025 16:26 , Bryony Gooch
IDF and ISA say two additional coffins expected as Red Cross collect half expected deceased hostages on Monday
Monday 13 October 2025 16:22 , Bryony GoochAccording to information provided by the Red Cross, two coffins of deceased hostages have been transferred into their custody and are on their way to IDF and ISA forces in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF and ISA forces said: “Following this, there will be an additional transfer of another two coffins of deceased hostages. Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages.”
Hostages call for immediate suspension of agreement implementation until all the deceased are returned
Monday 13 October 2025 16:15 , Bryony GoochThe Hostages Families Forum is calling for the immediate suspension of all agreement implementation “until every deceased individual is returned.”
They said: “Hamas’s violation of the agreement must be met with a very serious response from the government and the mediators.
“An agreement must be honored by both sides. If Hamas does not fulfill their part, Israel should not fulfill its part either.
“We demand all 28 hostages back. We will not give up on anyone, until the last hostage is returned.”
Trump walks back some of what he said about a possible deal with Iran in Israel
Monday 13 October 2025 16:11 , Bryony GoochSpeaking in Egypt, Trump has walked back what he said earlier about a possible deal with Iran. he said: " I think Iran will come along, and they've been battered and bruised and you know, they're, they're, they need some help.
“They're big sanctions, as you know, tremendous sanctions. I'd love to take the sanctions off when they're ready to talk, but they can't really survive with those sanctions. Those sanctions are very tough, but at some point they're going to say, we want the sanctions off.
“We're going to end up with peace. I think Iran is going to be fine. I know so many Iranian people. They're great people. They're smart, great, great people, engineers, lawyers. I mean, they're academics, but the they took a big hit."
