Israel, Hamas swap captives under Gaza deal

Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages on Monday as part of a ceasefire, pausing two years of war that pummelled the Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians.

The releases came as US President Donald Trump was in Israel to celebrate the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, an agreement that he declared had effectively ended the war and opened the door to building a durable peace in the West Asia.

Speaking at the Israeli Parliament, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “committed to ensuring peace”.

Under the deal, Israel released over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and is to allow a surge of food and aid supplies into famine-stricken Gaza.

Trump will discuss the US-proposed deal and post-war plans with other leaders in Egypt later Monday.

The ceasefire is also expected to see a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. An Egyptian official says 154 Palestinian prisoners, who were released and deported by Israel, arrived in Egypt at the Rafah crossing with Gaza. The freed prisoners were to be sent to third countries as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, said the official.