HAMAS militants began handing over the last Israeli hostages to the Red Cross. IDF forces are to transport them to hospitals for medical examination. Some of the survivors are in serious condition, DW reports.
The terrorist group HAMAS handed over seven Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on the morning of Monday, October 13. They had been held captive for 737 days.
The release process began in the Netzarim corridor in northern Gaza. Another round of releases is scheduled in the city of Khan Yunis in the south three hours later.
Some hostages in serious condition
The released hostages are to be handed over to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). According to the terms of the ceasefire agreement, the bodies of those who died in captivity must be returned within 72 hours after the release of the living hostages.
The families of the hostages had previously arrived at the Re'im base in southern Israel, where the released individuals are to undergo medical examinations. After that, they will be able to reunite with their loved ones. The ICRC met with the hostages a few hours before their release and reported that some of them were in serious condition, as reported by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
U.S. President Donald Trump attended the hostage release ceremony. He later intends to travel to Egypt to participate in the signing of a peace agreement.
Uncertainty over who will govern Gaza
The ceasefire and the release of hostages are the first steps of the proposed peace plan, clarifies the Associated Press. Conflicting demands remain regarding subsequent steps, creating uncertainty about whether the conflict is truly over.
"Israel wants HAMAS to disarm. And HAMAS wants Israel to withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip. The future of the authority in the territory, which has been in the hands of HAMAS for two decades, is also yet to be determined," the AP material states.
Meanwhile, several humanitarian organizations have already announced that they are preparing to increase aid to the sector, particularly food, which is lacking in many areas. This includes approximately 400 trucks from Egypt that are to undergo Israeli inspection on October 13 before entering the recently contested area.
Peace treaty to be signed in Egypt without HAMAS
Egypt's Foreign Ministry announced plans to hold an international "peace summit" on October 13. The meeting is expected to result in the signing of an "agreement to end the war in Gaza." Last week, the initial agreement between Israel and HAMAS was signed in Sharm el-Sheikh.
The HAMAS group itself will not participate in the signing ceremony of the agreement in Sharm el-Sheikh. "Only mediators, as well as American and Israeli officials, will be present at the ceremony," a representative of the militants said earlier.
The co-chairs of the meeting will be U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. About 20 world leaders are expected to attend the summit, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Agreement between Israel and HAMAS
The ceasefire regime between Israel and HAMAS came into effect at noon on October 10. The first phase of the plan for the Gaza Strip, developed by Trump and supported by both sides, involves the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
In response to the release of all remaining hostages, Israel will free approximately 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and about 1,700 other prisoners arrested since October 7, 2023, as part of the deal. The agreement also includes the withdrawal of IDF troops to an agreed line in Gaza, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid to the sector.
HAMAS attack on Israel on October 7, 2023
The attack by the HAMAS movement, recognized as a terrorist organization in the European Union and the U.S., on Israel on October 7, 2023, marked the beginning of an escalation in the Middle Eastern conflict. At that time, militants launched a rocket attack on Israel, invaded its territory, and carried out the largest massacre of civilians in the history of the modern Israeli state, killing about 1,200 people. They also took around 250 hostages and transported them to the Gaza Strip. Later, some of the hostages were exchanged or released, while others died.
In response, Israel declared war on HAMAS. During the ground operation and bombings of the Gaza Strip, more than 67,000 Palestinians were reported killed, with over 169,000 injured, according to the health ministry controlled by HAMAS. However, it is not specified how this statistic is compiled. For example, it is unclear how many of the deceased were Islamist militants, and whether deaths of Palestinians in hospitals from natural causes are included.
At the end of September, U.S. President Donald Trump presented his peace plan for the Gaza Strip during a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington. Netanyahu agreed to it. Partial agreement with the proposed points was given in early October by representatives of HAMAS. The first round of negotiations between Israel and HAMAS through intermediaries took place in Egypt on October 6.
