Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv last Saturday. They hoped for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Many in the crowd shouted their thanks to former US President Donald Trump. They believed he helped make the upcoming hostage deal happen. This rally came just before a planned ceasefire and hostage exchange with Hamas. Meanwhile, world leaders are getting ready for a summit in Egypt to discuss a lasting end to the conflict.
The large crowd in Tel Aviv cheered for the hostages to come home. This moment of hope arrived as a ceasefire agreement was announced just days earlier. The deal outlined a process for Hamas to free some of the people it captured.
US Special Representative Steve Witkoff spoke to the energized crowd. “The hostages are coming home,” he declared. Witkoff gave a lot of credit to Donald Trump. He said Trump was key in making the ceasefire and hostage exchange possible. Trump is expected to visit Israel soon. After that, he will join more than 20 global leaders at a summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also be there.
Under the agreed terms, Hamas promised to release all 48 remaining hostages within 72 hours. However, officials believe only about 20 of them are still alive. Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, confirmed the exchange would start on Monday morning.
While many at the rally held signs demanding the government save the hostages, their feelings were mixed. Cheers for “Thank Trump” filled the air. But when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s name was mentioned, boos erupted. Many Israelis are upset with him. They blame him for failing to prevent the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas. They also feel he hasn’t brought the hostages home quickly enough.
Across the border in the Gaza Strip, a different struggle unfolds. Palestinian officials reported that about 500,000 people have returned to the northern areas. These areas are mostly destroyed after Israeli forces moved out. At the same time, Hamas has deployed thousands of its fighters. They are trying to regain control. This raises big questions about who will govern Gaza once the war finally ends.
Getting help into Gaza remains a huge problem. The World Food Programme (WFP) said only two or three trucks of aid arrive daily. This is far less than what is needed, even with the new agreement. COGAT, an Israeli agency, claimed over 500 trucks entered Gaza on Thursday. They added that the United Nations and other aid groups distributed 300 of these.
Despite these efforts, the food situation is terrible. A UN-backed report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) found that over 500,000 people in Gaza are facing starvation. That’s about one-quarter of the entire population. The Israeli government has denied using starvation as a weapon. They blame Hamas and international aid groups for slow deliveries.
The conflict began with the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 people died in Israel, and 251 were taken hostage. Since then, the Health Ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas, states that more than 67,000 Palestinians have died from Israeli military actions.
Source: BBC