Overview

• Hamas delivered seven hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday morning after publishing the names of 20 confirmed living captives.
• Under the transfer plan, the Red Cross receives living hostages inside Gaza before their handover to Israeli forces for intake at the Reim reception center and designated hospitals.
• The exchange’s first phase envisions Israel releasing about 2,000 Palestinian detainees—250 security prisoners and 1,700 held since October 2023—once the full hostage return is verified.
• President Donald Trump made a brief stop in Israel before co‑presiding a Sharm el‑Sheikh summit with Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al‑Sissi, where the U.S., Egypt, Qatar and likely Turkey are expected to sign implementation guarantees; neither Israel nor Hamas plans to attend.
• The ceasefire has enabled large returns of displaced Gazans to the north and the entry of aid through Kerem Shalom and Rafah, while contentious second‑phase issues—Hamas’s disarmament and Gaza’s future governance—remain unresolved.