Today at 07:58
Hamas has released the first group of seven Israeli hostages, who have been handed over to the Red Cross, The Times of Israel reports.
The freed hostages will soon return to Israel. The first to be released from Hamas captivity were twins Gali and Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, and Guy Gilboa-Dallal.
Meanwhile, thousands of people have gathered in Tel Aviv, the country’s capital, to welcome their freed compatriots.
In total, Hamas is expected to release 20 hostages today. The remaining 13 will be handed over at 10:00 a.m. local time.
Their names, published by Reuters, are: Bar Avraham Kupershtein, Evyatar David, Yosef-Chaim Ohana, Segev Kalfon, Avinatan Or, Elkana Bochbot, Maksim Herkin, Nimrod Cohen, Matan Angrest, Matan Zangauker, Eitan Horn, Eitan Avraham Mor, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Omri Miran, Alon Ohel, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Rom Braslavsky, Ariel Kunio, and David Kunio.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said that a peace deal regarding Gaza “could be the biggest thing I’ve ever been involved in.” He made the statement aboard Air Force One, en route to Israel, where the last 20 living hostages held by Hamas are expected to be freed.
Trump shared this in a phone interview with Axios.
According to him, the peace plan he proposed is intended to end the war, which has already claimed the lives of over 67,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry.
On Monday morning, Trump is set to address the Israeli parliament (the Knesset) and meet with hostage families as well as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Asked about his message to the Israeli people, Trump replied simply:
“Love and peace forever.”
Trump also said he had been following Saturday’s rally in Tel Aviv in support of the hostages, attended by his daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff. He described the rally as “incredible,” noting that “everyone was ecstatic.”
In the interview, Trump added that he does not know why Prime Minister Netanyahu will not attend the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, dedicated to coordinating a Gaza peace framework. He clarified that the list of invitees was determined by the Egyptian organizers.
However, he welcomed the participation of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, saying it was “a positive sign.”
Trump emphasized that the number of countries joining the conference shows that “the world has united around his plan.”
He also claimed that he would not have been able to reach a Gaza deal if he hadn’t ordered strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June. According to Trump, that weakened Hamas’s Iranian backers, making the group more open to compromise.
He said that removing “the dark cloud” of Iran’s nuclear threat had allowed Arab and Muslim nations to unite in pursuit of a Gaza peace agreement.
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