Hamas has released all remaining living Israeli hostages following the implementation of the US-brokered peace agreement, which is expected to bring an end to the two-year-long war.
The 20 hostages, part of the over 200 Israelis kidnapped on 7 October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, were released on Monday as part of a ceasefire deal.
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Last week, Israel and Hamas agreed to the peace agreement initiated by President Donald Trump’s administration. The peace process is expected to be in phases.
According to Mr Trump, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the release of hostages from both ends are the first steps toward “a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”
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Many Palestinians who have been held prisoners by the Israeli army have also been released.
Al Jazeera reports that crowds cheered the prisoners as they got off the buses that transported them from Ofer Prison to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
Family members and friends were seen hugging the prisoners upon their arrival.
Palestinians have also begun to return to what is left of their homes in northern Gaza.
They are, however, in desperate need of humanitarian aid.
More than 67,806 people have died and 170,066 others have been wounded since the conflict began in October 2023.
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Israel’s imposed starvation has also been significantly increasing the death toll in Gaza, particularly among children.
The United Nations said that since late May, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,400 people in Gaza as they tried to obtain food.
However, the UN reported that humanitarian aid efforts have increased, with cooking gas entering for the first time since March, along with expanded deliveries of food and medical supplies.
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