SHARM EL SHEIKH: US President Donald Trump hailed a tremendous day for the Middle East as he and regional leaders signed a declaration cementing a Gaza ceasefire.
Trump made a lightning visit to Israel before flying to Egypt for the Gaza summit with leaders from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
“This is a tremendous day for the world, it’s a tremendous day for the Middle East,“ Trump said as world leaders gathered in the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
He later declared that the assembled leaders had achieved what everybody said was impossible.
“At long last, we have peace in the Middle East,“ Trump stated in his speech.
The declaration pledged to pursue a comprehensive vision of peace, security and shared prosperity in the region.
It welcomed the progress achieved in establishing comprehensive and durable peace arrangements in the Gaza Strip.
The statement remained vague about the path ahead for peace between Israel and its neighbours including the Palestinians.
“We’re talking about rebuilding Gaza. I’m not talking about single state or double state or two state,“ Trump told reporters en route back to the White House.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said the Gaza deal closes a painful chapter in human history and sets the stage for a two-state solution.
Hamas freed the last 20 surviving hostages it held after two years of captivity in Gaza as part of Trump’s plan.
Israel released 1,968 mostly Palestinian prisoners held in its jails in exchange according to its prison service.
“For so many families across this land, it has been years since you’ve known a single day of true peace,“ Trump told Israel’s parliament.
“Not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and for many others, the long and painful nightmare is finally over.”
In Tel Aviv, a huge crowd supporting hostage families erupted in joy as news broke of the first releases.
In the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, huge crowds gathered to welcome home the first prisoners with some chanting God is the greatest.
Residents in Khan Yunis climbed Red Cross buses carrying prisoners to greet their loved ones with hugs or kisses.
“Welcome home,“ Israel’s foreign ministry said on social media hailing the return of the hostages.
Videos released by the Israeli military captured raw emotion during family reunions.
“My life, you are my life… you are a hero,“ cried Einav Zangauker as she embraced her smiling son Matan in one video.
Hamas will also return the bodies of 27 hostages who died or were killed in captivity under the ceasefire agreement.
It will return the remains of a soldier killed in 2014 during a previous Gaza conflict.
Around 250 of the prisoners Israel freed were security detainees including many convicted of killing Israelis.
About 1,700 prisoners were taken into custody by the army in Gaza during the war.
Hamas-led militants seized 251 hostages during their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel which killed 1,219 people.
All but 47 of those hostages were freed in earlier truces before this latest agreement.
In Gaza, the ceasefire has brought relief but the territory faces a long road to recovery.
Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,869 people according to Hamas-run health ministry figures.
“The greatest joy is seeing my whole family gathered to welcome me,“ Yusef Afana, a released prisoner from north Gaza, told AFP.
“I spent 10 months in prison — some of the hardest days I’ve ever lived.”
In Ramallah, Palestinian prisoners struggled to get off buses due to the dense cheering crowds.
“It’s an indescribable feeling, a new birth,“ newly released Mahdi Ramadan told AFP flanked by his parents.
The UN Palestinian relief agency called for the return of aid to battered Gaza.
“Time to let in humanitarian aid at scale including through UNRWA,“ said its chief Philippe Lazzarini on social media.
Much remains to be negotiated including Hamas’s refusal to disarm and Israel’s failure to pledge full withdrawal.
Trump has repeatedly signalled confidence that the ceasefire will hold.
The US president announced a 20-point plan for Gaza in late September which helped bring about the ceasefire.
He briefly met Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas at the summit which Israeli and Hamas representatives did not attend.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem urged Trump and mediators to continue monitoring Israel’s conduct.
He asked them to ensure Israel does not resume its aggression against our people. – AFP
