Overview

• Israel’s military said seven living hostages were transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday morning in the opening handovers of the ceasefire exchange.
• The deal foresees Hamas returning up to 48 hostages, alive or dead, in exchange for Israel freeing roughly 250 long-term security prisoners and about 1,700 detainees arrested since October 2023.
• Officials expect the 20 living hostages to be delivered together to the Red Cross before transfer to Israel’s Re’im base and designated hospitals, with an international body slated to help locate any remains not recovered today.
• A summit in Sharm el-Sheikh convenes under Presidents Donald Trump and Abdel Fattah al-Sissi with more than 20 leaders as mediators prepare to sign guarantees for implementation, though neither Israel nor Hamas is attending.
• The truce has allowed large-scale returns and aid movements, with Gaza Civil Defense reporting about 500,000 people back in the north and agencies readying expanded deliveries, while future phases on Hamas disarmament and Gaza governance remain contested.