World leaders attend 'peace summit' in Egypt to discuss next steps for Gaza peace

Donald Trump addressed the audience at the Middle East Peace agreement signing ceremony, saying the summit will now continue behind closed doors after his opening remarks. 

Trump praised the world leaders present at Sharm el-Sheikh saying "this is probably the greatest assemblage of countries in terms of wealth and power maybe ever assembled, and it's just an honour to be a part of it." 

The US president also thanked the leaders who he said have helped broker a ceasefire, including Qatar, Turkey and Egypt.

Together with Trump, the leaders of these three countries proceeded to sign the document cementing phase one of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, before the meeting continued without the media. 

Among the delegates arriving to the summit was former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is poised to potentially join a "Board of Peace" to supervise the interim governance of Gaza under the US president's plans.

Donald Trump has arrived in Egypt from Israel for a peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss the next steps for Gaza. 

After meeting Egypt's president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Trump said the second phase of the peace agreement negotiations "has started." 

"The phases are all a little bit mixed in with each other," he said, adding that a lot of "clean-up" is required in Gaza.

Al-Sisi welcomed the ceasefire agreement calling it an "unprecedented accomplishment" and told Donald Trump he is the “only one” capable of bringing an end to the war in Gaza. 

Egypt’s president also said he wants to make sure all the remaining bodies of the Israeli hostages be brought back to Israel and that the ceasefire remains in place.

US President Donald Trump said he plans to shift his focus to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine now that the first phase of the Gaza peace deal has begun.

Addressing the Israeli parliament on Monday, Trump said, "It would be great if we could make a peace deal with (Iran)... First, we have to get Russia done."

"Let's focus on Russia first."

Trump has been trying to broker a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine for months, but those efforts remain stalled, with the Kremlin rejecting the idea of direct negotiations with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, even with Trump's participation. 

Zelenskyy congratulated Trump on the Gaza peace deal, saying, "When peace is achieved for one part of the world, it brings more hope for peace in other regions where life is still under threat."

"We are working so that the day of peace comes for Ukraine as well."

Europe's leading rabbi, Pinchas Goldschmidt, welcomed the return of the Israeli hostages in a statement on Monday, saying "our hearts are filled with jubilation over the return of the hostages, our brothers and sisters, who have endured unspeakable torment in Gaza's terror tunnels." 

"The past two years have shown us the horrific and murderous brutality of terror states intent on destroying the Jewish people, but also, in sharp contrast, the unity of our nation."

"The road to recovery is far from over. The future remains uncertain, and the path of our nation is strewn with pain and loss," Goldschmidt said, thanking Donald Trump for "for his leadership in this exchange."

Donald Trump has now left Israel and is on his way to Egypt for the Gaza peace summit.

Trump was seen on to the plane by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who won't be joining the US president in the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Netanyahu's office said the summit was too close to the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.

Leaders of 28 countries are waiting for Trump in Egypt, including France's President Emmanuel Macron, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez.

Representatives of three international bodies, including the United Nations and the European Council, are also in attendance.

Hamas will not be at the meeting in Egypt. The armed group is yet to agree to all parts of Trump's 20-point peace plan, even though the ceasefire has come into effect and the hostage release has taken place.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is attending the summit where has already met with Macron.

Negotiations are then expected to follow over the details of other phases which include the future governance of Gaza, the extent of Israeli troop withdrawal and the disarming of Hamas.

Egypt's foreign ministry said a "document ending the war in the Gaza Strip" is expected to be signed.

A statement on Telegram made by the armed wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, said it would release the bodies of four deceased Israeli hostages later on Monday.

They have been named as Guy Ilouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi and Daniel Perez.

Earlier on Monday, Hamas released all 20 remaining living captives held in Gaza but it is still holding a number of remains that belong to dead Israeli captives.

According to the terms of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, Hamas is required to release all living and dead hostages.

Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, called the Hamas announcement a "failure to meet commitments".

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an Israeli support and advocacy group, said earlier on Monday that it had been informed that only four of the 28 deceased hostages held by Hamas will be returned later on Monday.

"This represents a blatant breach of the agreement by Hamas," the group said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump has boarded his official aeroplane, Air Force One, at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport following a speech to the country's parliament, the Knesset.

Trump is headed to the Egyptian coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for what his administration has called a "peace summit" to cement the Gaza ceasefire.

Some 30 world leaders are set to attend the event to ink the Trump-led Gaza peace deal and discuss what comes next.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who travelled to Egypt to participate in a peace summit of world leaders aimed at solidifying the end of the war in Gaza, informed Egyptian and US officials that he would withdraw from the summit if Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated, the state-run Iraqi News Agency reported.

Egypt's presidency initially said Netanyahu would attend the summit but Netanyahu’s office said later on Monday that he would not attend due to a Jewish holiday.

Israeli officials tend not to travel on or near religious holidays.

The summit in Sharm el-Sheikh is co-chaired by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and US President Donald Trump and will include around two dozen world leaders.

Iraq does not recognise the State of Israel and the two countries have no formal diplomatic relations.

Israel's prison service says it has transferred 1,968 Palestinian prisoners back to the Palestinian territories as part of the ceasefire deal.

The prisoners were released in two groups, with one transferred from Ofer prison to parts of the occupied West Bank.

The second group was transferred from Ketziot prison to Kerem Shalom in southern Israel, one of the border crossings into Gaza.

The prisoners were escorted by Israeli prison officers, a statement said.

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer says that his country is ready to assist in monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza, offering the UK's experience in Northern Ireland to help in the decommissioning of Hamas' military capability.

Speaking at a peace summit in Egypt, Starmer said the UK was read to "play its full part" in ensuring that the current ceasefire results in a lasting peace.

"We stand ready in relation to monitoring the ceasefire and decommissioning Hamas capability and weaponry and that's drawing on our experience in Northern Ireland and the IRA, which we dealt with in particular in relation to decommissioning," he said in a joint appearance with the emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The liberation of the Israeli hostages and the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip have raised a pressing question in Brussels: will the EU move forward with its proposal to sanction Israel?

Let's remember that last month, Ursula von der Leyen, under enormous public pressure, unveiled a series of proposals in reaction to the humanitarian catastrophe inside Gaza and the violations of human rights committed by Israel. These included:

• The partial suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement to reimpose tariffs on 37% of Israeli exports to the bloc. (Subject to qualified majority.)
• Sanctions against two extremist ministers of Israel, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, and violent settlers in the West Bank. (Subject to unanimity.)
• The freezing of bilateral aid, except for helping Yad Vashem’s World Holocaust Remembrance Center and other civil society projects. (Immediately applied.)

"What is happening in Gaza is unacceptable. And because Europe must lead the way – just as it has done before," von der Leyen said.

Since then, member states have been debating the proposals without finding the necessary votes. The suspension of the Association Agreement, in particular, has been blocked by the resistance of Germany and Italy, two big countries that could tip the balance in favour of approval. Others, like Hungary and the Czech Republic, have made their negative vote clear to everybody.

If finding a qualified majority was difficult before Monday, now it could be virtually impossible. Technically speaking, the proposals remain on the table, but the European Commission, as the originator, has the prerogative to withdraw them at any point.

"Obviously, such measures are proposed in a given context, and if the context changes, that could also eventually lead to the change of the proposal. But we are not there yet," Paula Pinho, the chief spokesperson of the Commission, said on Monday afternoon.

Pinho did not say what changes could be enough to trigger a withdrawal, but noted the measures had been designed as a "means to precisely bring forward and achieve a ceasefire", which is now ongoing.

"On this basis, we'll see if there is a need to reassess or not the proposals that we have put forward," Pinho added.

The fate of the texts could be decided as soon as next Monday, when foreign affairs ministers are due to meet and discuss the latest developments. The gathering will be followed by a one-day summit of EU leaders on Thursday. The Middle East will be part of the agenda.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he hopes US President Donald Trump will bring to bear the same influence on Russia's government to end the war in Ukraine as he did on players in the Middle East to secure an end to fighting in Gaza.

Merz said he wants to use the opportunity offered by Monday’s summit in Egypt to discuss again with Trump "what we can do together to end that war," which has been going on for more than three years.

"From this place, the signal goes out that if the world community stands together, it is possible. But it must not just be possible in this place – it must also be possible in other regions of the world, and for us Europeans this war in Europe is the biggest threat to our freedom," Merz added.

US President Donald Trump has waded into Israeli domestic politics, urging the Israeli president to pardon Netanyahu on corruption charges.

"That was not in the speech as you probably know," Trump joked of his prepared remarks.

He added to Netanyahu, "You are a very popular man. You know why? Because you know how to win."

Netanyahu became the only sitting prime minister in Israeli history to be indicted when he was charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases after yearslong investigations accusing him of exchanging favours with wealthy political supporters.

But Trump declared, "Whether we like it or not, this has been one of the greatest wartime presidents...and cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that."

As part of the peace plan brokered by the United States, President Donald Trump is supposed to chair a so-called "Board of Peace" to oversee the "technocratic, apolitical" committee that will temporarily govern Gaza and manage the post-war reconstruction. It will be active until the Palestinian Authority is reformed and takes over the enclave.

Tony Blair, the former UK prime minister who has informally advised Trump, will also be part of the board. The 20-point plan says that "other members and heads of state" will be announced.

Will the European Union, the largest donor to Palestinians, join as well? This has not been confirmed, but on Monday, a spokesperson for the European Commission said this was the intention.

"We believe that Europe has an important role to play and that we should be part of that," the spokesperson replied to a Euronews question.

Since the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023, the EU and member states have donated an additional €1.48 billion in humanitarian assistance to the Occupied Territories.

It's unclear when the "Board of Peace" will become operational, as the peace deal is only now in the first stage. Last week, Trump said he would lead the board "not at my request, believe me. I'm very busy. But we have to make sure this works."

An Egyptian official says 154 Palestinian prisoners who were released by Israel have been sent to Egypt.

The prisoners were among more than 1,900 Palestinians being freed by Israel in exchange for Hamas' release of its remaining hostages.

The freed prisoners were to be sent to third countries as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, said the official, who has direct knowledge of the deal's implementation.

Meanwhile, other Palestinian prisoners have arrived in Gaza after their release.

International journalists saw buses carrying freed Palestinian arrive at Nasser hospital in Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis, where they were met by giant crowds.

The prisoners were released on Monday morning from an Israeli prison as part of the ceasefire deal, which also saw the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants.

The US president has wrapped up his address to the Knesset and will now travel to Egypt to participate in the peace summit with over two dozen other nations.

Trump admitted he was running late for the meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh as the speeches in the Israeli parliament took longer than expected.

"They might not be there by the time I get there, but we'll give it a shot," Trump joked, after needling Israeli leaders for talking so much.

There was a chance that Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would join him and Egypt even announced his attendance.

However, Netanyahu's office said later that he would not be going because the summit was too close to the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah and Israeli officials don't travel on or around religious festivals.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said the bodies of 60 Palestinians have been recovered from under the rubble of destroyed buildings and brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours.

That brings the number of recovered bodies to 200 in the past four days since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect and Israeli troops pulled back from some parts of Gaza, according to figures reported by the ministry.

The ministry says further bodies remain under the rubble, particularly in areas inaccessible to first responders.

The Israel-Hamas war in Gaza resulted in the deaths of more than 67,800 Palestinians, according to the health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its reports.

Today marks the "historic dawn of a new Middle East," US President Donald Trump said addressing the Knesset, following the release of all living Israeli hostages held in Gaza since 7 October 2023.

The US president thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him a "man of exceptional courage."

"He's not the easiest guy to deal with … But that's what makes him great."

The US president echoed Netanyahu's statement from earlier on "peace through strength, this is what it is all about," pointing out that it was this principle and approach which helped achieve the peace plan and bring back Israeli hostages.

"We will not be politically correc," Trump said, praising the strength of the US military and American weapons.

"Bibi (Benjamin Netanyahu) would call me so many times asking for weapons, so many that Israel became strong and powerful … that's what led to peace," he told Israeli lawmakers.

Trump also called for a new era in the Middle East, seeking to seize on a narrow window to transform the region.

"This is now a very exciting time for Israel and for the entire Middle East, because all across the Middle East, the forces of chaos, terror and ruin that have plagued the region for decades now stand weakened, isolated and totally defeated," Trump said. "A new coalition of proud and responsible nations is emerging."

The US president said that "Israel, with our help, has won all they can."

"Now, it's time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East."

"The choice for Palestinians could not be more clear. The total focus of Gazans must be on restoring the fundamentals so they can finally have the better life their children deserve."

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an Israeli support and advocacy group, says it has been informed that only four of the 28 deceased hostages held by Hamas will be returned later on Monday.

"This represents a blatant breach of the agreement by Hamas," the group said in a statement.

"The mediators must enforce the agreement’s terms and ensure Hamas pays a price for this violation," the statement said, urging the Israeli government to take "immediate action to rectify this grave injustice."

Under Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan, Hamas was supposed to release all living and deceased hostages on Monday.

The 20 living hostages have now all been returned to Israel.

n one video, 25-year-old Eitan Mor, who was working as a security guard at the Nova Festival when he was abducted, can be seen reunited with his parents.

Mor's parents helped found the Tikva Forum, a loosely organised group of hostage families which advocated for military pressure — rather than an immediate ceasefire or hostage release deal — as the best strategy for bringing the hostages home. This stance put Mor's father at odds with many of the other hostage families.

In another video, 25-year-old Matan Zangauker is seen embracing his mother, Einav Zangauker. Although she was previously a Netanyahu supporter, Matan's mother emerged as one of the Israeli government's harshest critics, among the hostage families.

Zangauker was kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz along with his girlfriend, Ilana Gritzewsky. 

In his speech to the Knesset, Trump also expressed his gratitude to Arab nations and Muslim leaders "that came together to press Hamas to set the hostages free."

"We had a lot of help…a lot of people that you wouldn't suspect and I want to thank them very much for that," Trump said.

"It's an incredible triumph for Israel and the world to have all of these nations working together as partners in peace."

US President Donald Trump’s address to the Israeli Knesset on Monday was disrupted by two members of parliament, who were holding a sign saying "Recognise Palestine," according to a Knesset spokesman.

Reportedly the lawmaker were Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif.

Trump paused his speech for a moment, watching as the men were approached by security and removed from the chamber.

"That was very efficient," Trump said before resuming his speech.

As the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced this morning, the EU will restart its EU border assistance mission, EUBAM, in Rafah on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the European Commission told journalists that "by redeploying it, we will actually allow the Rafah crossing point to serve as point of entry to Gaza and exit from Gaza for individuals agreed by the parties including those requiring medical care and accompanying persons."

The mission was launched in 2005 to support the implementation of the access and movement agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but went into standby mode in 2007 following the Hamas takeover of Gaza.

It had been training and supporting Palestinian-led border management since 2014. It redeployed properly in January 2025 following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but was partially suspended again in March due to renewed hostilities.

“After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families, and it is glorious,” Donald Trump said, opening his speech at the Israeli parliament on Monday.

“Twenty-eight more precious loved ones are coming home at last to rest in this sacred soil for all of time."

"The guns are silent," Donald Trump said, adding that the region is now "at peace" and hopefully will remain so "for eternity".

“I have seen a lot of American presidents. I have never seen anyone move the world so quickly, so decisively and so resolutely as our friend Donald Trump,” Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said, thanking the US president for brokering the peace deal and the ceasefire with Gaza, as well as the release of all Israeli hostages from the Strip. 

“You brought most of the Arab world, most of the world around your proposal”, Netanyahu said, referring to Trump’s plan for Gaza. 

Netanyahu also thanked Trump for supporting Israel’s military operation against Iran and for what he described as Trump's "bold decisions" made during the 12-day conflict with Iran in June, when Israel struck Iran's nuclear sites.

“Thank you for withdrawing from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal,” Netanyahu said.

Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that Tehran declined an invitation to attend the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in Egypt.

The ministry's spokesman told reporters that the decision was reached following discussions within the ministry and with other decision-making bodies in the country.

“Positive and negative dimensions of any decision including participation and avoiding participation were calculated and eventually led to a decision that secures betterments and interests of the country," Tehran said.

Relations between Israel and Iran have remained tense following the 12-day conflict, when Israel launched a series of attacks targeting Iran's nuclear power stations, as well as other strategic military sites. In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone strikes on Israel.

The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres expressed his profound relief regarding the release of Israeli hostages held captive in Gaza for more than two years.

“I am profoundly relieved that they have regained their freedom and will soon be reunited with their loved ones after the immense suffering they have endured”, said Guterres in a statement issued from Sharm el-Sheikh, where world leaders are gathering to throw their weight behind the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Guterres went on to reiterate his “call for the release of the remains of the deceased hostages” while also urging all parties to “build on this momentum and to honour their commitments under the ceasefire to end the nightmare in Gaza.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said US President Donald Trump is “the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House” as he addressed the Knesset before Trump’s speech on Monday.

Netanyahu said 13 October 2025 "will be inscribed in history", adding that Donald Trump too will be "inscribed in the history of our nation" and the world.

"How long we've waited for this moment," Netanyahu said, "and I want to thank you personally on behalf of the whole nation."

Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana announced that he will work with US Speaker Mike Johnson to rally heads of state and parliamentary leaders from around the world in support of nominating Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

"There is no one more deserving for the Nobel Peace Prize", Ohana said.

“You are the president of peace. There was not a single person on the planet who did more than you. No one even came close”.

“You proved that true peace is achieved through strength”.

“You more than any other individual deserve the highest recognition for your efforts for promoting peace,” the head of Knesset said. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be travelling to Egypt to attend Trump's peace summit, his office said on Monday.

The office explained that Netanyahu opted to remain in Israel due to the religious holiday that begins tonight.

The clarification was issued after Egypt’s presidency said Netanyahu would attend the summit.

The Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah marks the end of the weeklong Sukkot. It was on this holiday, two years ago, that Hamas launched its October 7 attack.

Israeli leaders in general do not travel on Sabbath or other holidays.

Netanyahu's office said the Israeli PM thanked US President Donald Trump for the invitation and “efforts to expand the circle of peace, peace through strength."

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called the release of Israeli hostages an "extraordinary result" owed to international diplomacy and Trump's intervention.

"Now a new phase opens: consolidating the ceasefire and giving full implementation to the agreement to build a future of peace and lasting stability," Meloni said on social media.

Meloni is among the European leaders who will attend the signing ceremony in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh later on Monday. The PM is considered friendly toward Trump amid tensions across the Atlantic.

The Israeli parliament welcomed the US president with several rounds of standing ovations as Donald Trump was introduced before delivering his speech in the Knesset. 

Together with Trump is a large delegation of American officials, including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Joint Chiefs chairman General Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and senior adviser Stephen Miller.

“The world needs more Trumps,” the head of Knesset said. 

Invited to attend the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in Egypt, European Council President António Costa saluted on Monday the release of the hostages held by Hamas for more than two years.

Costa described the moment as an “important step” toward peace in the Middle East, highlighting the EU’s role as a bridgebuilder in delivering the peace plan brokered by US President Donald Trump.

Buses carrying Palestinian prisoners, freed from the Ofer prison located in the occupied West Bank, have arrived in Ramallah.

At least one bus has crossed into the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-run Prisoners Office.

Israel is set to release more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees on Monday, after Hamas fulfilled part of the ceasefire deal, freeing all remaining living hostages who were held captive for more than two years in Gaza.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also welcomed the release of the Israeli hostages.

"Today, families can finally once again embrace their loved ones," Merz said in a social media post shared in German, English and Hebrew. "The hostages who were murdered must also return home, so that their families can give them a dignified farewell."

"This day is a start: when healing can begin and a step taken on the path to peace in the Middle East," he added.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has hailed the release of all remaining Israeli hostages as a "moment of pure joy for those families" and "of relief for the entire world".

"It means that a page can be turned. A new chapter can begin," the chief of the EU executive said in a statement.

"The finalisation of the agreement ending the war today in Sharm el-Sheikh will be a historical milestone."

The European Union intends to provide additional funding for the reform of the Palestinian Authority, which partially governs the West Bank, as well as for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, von der Leyen said in her statement. The bloc is the largest donor for Palestinians, a leverage that Brussels hopes will give it a prominent role in the post-war process.

However, the EU was not included in US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan.

The Israeli military has released photographs of Omri Miran, 48, embracing his wife Lishay at the IDF reception point in Israel.

Miran was abducted from his home in Nahal Oz on 7 October. Hamas last released information on Miran in April, posting a video of him on his birthday.

According to the latest information from the Israeli military, all 20 living hostages are now in Israel.

This came after the IDF confirmed that the second group of 13 hostages released by Hamas are on their way to the initial reception point, where they will meet their families.

The rest of the 48 hostages are believed to be dead. Hamas said it would release the bodies of some of them starting on Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted an invitation to join the peace summit in Egypt later on Monday, domestic media report.

Netanyahu spoke by phone with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sissi, in a conversation apparently brokered by US President Donald Trump, according to Israel's Channel 12.

Some 30 world leaders are set to gather in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh to ink the Trump-led peace deal and discuss what comes next.

Among the Europeans attending are French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Council President Antonio Costa.

Families and friends of hostages released on Monday eagerly await being reunited with their loved ones, who have been in Hamas captivity for more than two years.

In a video released on Monday, hostage Elkana Bohbot can be seen speaking to his spouse Rebecca Bohbot and other loved ones, before he was taken to the IDF primary checkpoint.

Watch the video here:

A host of world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, will gather in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh later on Monday to ink the peace deal proper and discuss what comes next.

Among the Europeans attending are French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Council President Antonio Costa.

They will officially be welcomed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi at 2:30 pm local time (1:30 pm CEST), with the signing ceremony scheduled 45 minutes later. Al-Sissi and Trump will then deliver speeches at around 4 pm local time.

Ahead of his departure for Egypt, the French presidential palace said Macron will call on partners to prepare for the "day after" focusing on security, governance, and reconstruction requirements.

The Elysee also reaffirmed its stance that "only a political solution based on the existence of two states living side by side in peace and security will make it possible to build a sustainable future for all the peoples of the Middle East".

Costa similarly said that a just and sustainable peace must be "grounded in the two-state solution" with the EU committed to contributing to transitional governance, recovery and reconstruction processes, including "by continuing its support to the Palestinian Authority."

A senior Red Cross official has confirmed to Israeli press that the second group of hostages released by Hamas on Monday is "in ok condition".

The group is now being transferred to the Israeli military, he told Times of Israel. The IDF has also confirmed their release.

The hostages released in the second group are Elkana Bohbot, Avinatan Or, Yosef-Haim Ohana, Evyatar David, Rom Braslavski, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Matan Zangauker, Bar Kupershtein, David Cunio and Ariel Cunio.

Asked by the journalists at the Knesset whether the Israel-Hamas war was over, US President Donald Trump said "yes".

“This is a great day,” he said. “This is a whole new beginning, and I think there’s never been an event like it.”

“We’re so happy for (the hostages)," Trump told the press. “They’re going to be happy and they’re going to have a great life.”

“The love in the streets has just been incredible. It’s just been a great day.”

US President Donald Trump has arrived to the Israeli parliament, where he briefly spoke to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana before signing the Knesset guestbook.

“This is my great honour. A great and beautiful day, a new beginning,” he wrote.

Trump will address the Knesset shortly.

The top UN humanitarian official said on Monday that a scale-up of humanitarian aid to Gaza is under way.

Tom Feltcher said that the UN and its partners distributed hundreds of thousands of hot meals and bread bundles in southern and northern Gaza. He also said cooking gas entered the Strip for the first time in months.

“This is just the beginning,” he wrote on social media after he arrived in Egypt’s resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to attend an international summit on Gaza.

Many Israelis see the release of all the hostages as a definitive end to the war and a chance to celebrate life.

“I think what you are seeing here, the people that are celebrating in the square, something for me that is very Israeli, to see so many people gathering around to celebrate not the death of our enemies but the life of our people, of Israeli people,” said Gili Roman.

His sister Yarden Roman-Gat was freed from Gaza during the first ceasefire in November 2023, but his sister-in-law Carmel Gat was killed in captivity last year.

Roman said it is essential for people around the world not to define Israel just by the army that’s been fighting in Gaza, but as a country of people who want to live.

“Israel is when we’re celebrating people coming back alive and that the war is over,” he said.

Hamas has released another group of 13 hostages to the Red Cross in southern Gaza, and they are on their way to Israel, domestic media reported.

This brings the total number of living hostages released on Monday to 20 -- meaning, all of those Israel believes to be alive. The rest of the 48 hostages held by Hamas since 7 October 2023 are likely dead, according to prior reports.

The Israeli military has released the first images of the group of seven hostages freed on Monday morning, including those of twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman embracing.

In another photo, Alon Ohel is seen meeting the Israeli army at the preliminary exchange point in the Gaza Strip after being released.

Gali Berman and Guy Gilboa-Dala were also among the first group of hostages Hamas handed over to the IDF via the Red Cross.

The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas praised US President Donald Trump for the hostage release, saying on X he "made this breakthrough possible."

She also welcomed the release of the first group of seven hostages held by Hamas, stating it was a "major success for democracy" and a “crucial milestone towards peace.”

US President Donald Trump is on his way to Jerusalem together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara.

There, Trump will address the Knesset. Trump is travelling in his armoured vehicle known as The Beast.

Trump's daughter Ivanka, her husband Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff all met with the US president after he landed in Israel on Monday.

The first seven hostages released by Hamas have arrived at the initial reception point, the Israeli military confirmed.

They will be given a medical checkup before they are reunited with their families.

Hamas will release another group of "several hostages" later in the day, IDF reported.

Families and friends of the captives could be seen cheering as Israeli television channels announced that the hostages had been turned over to the Red Cross.

Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered across the country to share the moment at public screenings, with a large event being held in Tel Aviv. 

Major Israeli TV channels aired special overnight coverage ahead of the hostages’ release as anticipation mounted. Before dawn, crowds began gathering around a large screen in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square.

Early on Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it had started a "multi-phase operation" to oversee the release of hostages and prisoners.

The living hostages will first be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which will then transfer them to the Israeli military. They will be taken to the Reim military base, where they will be reunited with their families.

The remains of up to 28 other hostages are not expected to be returned at the same time. An international task force will be formed to locate the bodies of hostages not recovered within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for the hostages and the missing.

250 Palestinians who are serving life terms or long sentences in Israeli prisons are expected to be released, as well as 1,700 who were detained in the Gaza Strip during the war. No timetable has yet been announced for the release of the Palestinian prisoners, who are expected to first go through a medical check-up before being reunited with their families in a ceremony.