Israel and Hamas moved ahead on a key first step of the tenuous Gaza ceasefire agreement by freeing hostages and prisoners, raising hopes that the U.S.-brokered deal might lead to a permanent end to the two-year war that ravaged the Palestinian territory.

Hamas freed all 20 remaining living Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip on Monday morning, following a US-led deal reached late last week.

The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine.

Oct. 13, 2025 at 6:52 a.m. ET

The full release of 20 captives from Gaza was a requirement of the current cease-fire, a first step in a peace deal that would force U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas to disarm and give up power in Gaza.

President Donald Trump is due to meet with hostage families and address Israel’s Knesset, before heading to Egypt for an international summit on Gaza.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Tuesday that it will take time to hand over the remains of hostages and detainees killed in the Israel-Hamas war, calling it a "massive challenge" given the difficulties of finding bodies amid Gaza's rubble.

All 20 living hostages held by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel walked free Monday as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that decimated the Gaza Strip and killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.