Khan Younis (Web Desk): Hamas has officially handed over all 20 surviving Israeli hostages to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza, Israeli media reported.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster, the handover took place in two phases. The final batch of 13 hostages was transferred in Khan Younis, located in southern Gaza, marking the completion of the exchange process.
The Red Cross is overseeing the safe transfer of the released hostages to Israeli authorities under the framework of the Gaza peace agreement, which also includes the upcoming release of around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The move is being seen as a major milestone in the implementation of the peace accord and a potential turning point toward easing regional tensions after years of conflict.
According to Arab media reports, vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross have arrived in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah to oversee the exchange process. Palestinian prisoners are being transported by bus from Israeli jails to designated release points as part of the coordinated operation between Israel and Hamas.
International news agencies reported that Hamas’ armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, released the names of 20 living Israeli hostages.
Large crowds gathered near the exchange site, where emotions are running high as people await the historic return of prisoners.
The agreement stipulates the release of approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees in return for the 20 Israeli hostages. Among those to be freed are several Palestinians serving life sentences in Israeli prisons, as well as more than 1,700 individuals detained during the recent conflict without formal charges. The list also includes over two dozen minors.
Meanwhile, trucks loaded with humanitarian aid are entering Gaza, and displaced Palestinians are beginning to return to their homes in the north after months of displacement caused by Israeli operations. However, many returning families are met with scenes of devastation, as Gaza City remains largely reduced to rubble.
A formal signing ceremony for the Gaza Peace Accord is scheduled to take place later today in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, with U.S. President Donald Trump and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif among the attendees. The agreement is being hailed internationally as a breakthrough toward lasting peace in the region.
Pakistan has welcomed the accord as a vital step toward protecting Palestinian rights and alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, expressing hope that this development will pave the way for sustainable peace across the Middle East.