Historic Gaza Ceasefire: Trump Brokers Peace Declaration After Successful Hostage-Prisoner Exchange

More than two dozen world leaders convened at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for crucial peace talks.

US President Donald Trump celebrated what he called a "tremendous day for the Middle East" as he joined regional leaders in signing a declaration designed to solidify the Gaza ceasefire, following a successful exchange of hostages and prisoners between Israel and Hamas.

The American leader made a brief but significant visit to Israel, where he praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an address to parliament, before traveling to Egypt for a Gaza summit. There, Trump and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey signed the declaration as guarantors of the Gaza agreement.

"This is a tremendous day for the world, it's a tremendous day for the Middle East," Trump declared as numerous world leaders gathered at Sharm el-Sheikh. "The document is going to spell out rules and regulations and lots of other things," he added before signing, emphasizing twice that "it's going to hold up."

As part of Trump's plan to end the Gaza conflict, Hamas released the final 20 surviving hostages they had held captive for two years in Gaza. In exchange, Israel freed 1,968 mostly Palestinian prisoners from its detention facilities, according to the Israeli prison service.

"From October 7 until this week, Israel has been a nation at war, enduring burdens that only a proud and faithful people could withstand," Trump told Israeli lawmakers during his parliamentary address, where he received extended standing applause upon arrival. "For so many families across this land, it has been years since you've known a single day of true peace. Not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and for many others, the long and painful nightmare is finally over."

In Tel Aviv, a large crowd gathered in support of hostage families erupted in joy, tears, and songs as news of the first releases broke, though grief for those who did not survive remained evident. In the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, massive crowds assembled to welcome the first buses carrying prisoners, with some chanting "Allahu akbar" (God is the greatest) in celebration.

In the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, residents climbed aboard slow-moving Red Cross buses carrying the freed prisoners to embrace their returning loved ones.

"Welcome home," Israel's foreign ministry posted on X, celebrating the hostages' return. At Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, a woman named Noga shared her mixed feelings: "I'm torn between emotion and sadness for those who won't be coming back."

Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas is also expected to return the bodies of 27 hostages who died in captivity, plus the remains of a soldier killed during a previous Gaza conflict in 2014. Israel indicated it did not expect all deceased hostages to be returned immediately, though the army confirmed receiving the bodies of two captives handed over to the Red Cross by Hamas, with two more remains expected.

Of the prisoners Israel released in exchange, approximately 250 were security detainees, including many convicted of killing Israelis, while about 1,700 were individuals detained by the Israeli army in Gaza during the war.

On October 7, 2023, militants captured 251 hostages during Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,219 deaths, predominantly civilians. All but 47 of those hostages were freed in earlier truces, with the families of those remaining in captivity enduring constant anguish and concern for their loved ones.

In Gaza, the ceasefire has brought relief, although with much of the territory destroyed by war, recovery will be a lengthy process. "The greatest joy is seeing my whole family gathered to welcome me," said Yusef Afana, a 25-year-old released prisoner from north Gaza, speaking to AFP in Khan Yunis. "I spent 10 months in prison -- some of the hardest days I've ever lived."

In Ramallah, Palestinian prisoners released by Israel were met by crowds so dense that they struggled to exit the bus that brought them from detention. "It's an indescribable feeling, a new birth," newly released Mahdi Ramadan told AFP, accompanied by his parents.

Trump's Middle East visit aims to celebrate his role in brokering the ceasefire and hostage release agreement, though many issues remain unresolved. Potential complications include Hamas's refusal to disarm and Israel's reluctance to commit to a complete withdrawal from the devastated territory.

The US leader, however, repeatedly expressed confidence that the ceasefire would endure, stating during a joint appearance with Egyptian President Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh that discussions on the next steps were already in progress. "It's started, as far as we're concerned, phase 2 has started," he said. "The phases are all a little bit mixed in with each other," he added.

Trump announced a 20-point plan for Gaza in late September, which helped facilitate the ceasefire. During his appearance with Sisi, he praised the Egyptian leader as having been "very instrumental" in negotiations with Hamas. Sisi, in turn, described Trump as the "only one capable of bringing peace to our region."

Trump also briefly met with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas at the summit, which representatives of Israel and Hamas did not attend. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem urged Trump and the deal's mediators to "continue monitoring Israel's conduct and to ensure it does not resume its aggression against our people."

Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,869 people, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers credible. The data does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but indicates that more than half of the casualties are women and children.