1 hour agoShareSaveTom BennettJerusalemShareSaveThere have been celebrations across Israel and the Palestinian territories as a major hostage and prisoner exchange on Monday marked a significant step towards ending two years of war in Gaza.In a crucial first phase of the US-brokered plan to end the war, Hamas returned all living Israeli hostages, while Israel freed almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.There were emotional scenes as families of the Israeli hostages screamed and cried with happiness as they embraced their freed loved ones.And for the Palestinians who were freed from Israeli jails, huge crowds waving flags and playing patriotic music greeted them as they arrived on buses in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.US President Donald Trump landed in Israel minutes after the first hostages were reunited with their families, and in a speech to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, declared a “historic dawn in a new Middle East”.He then flew on to a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to meet more than 20 leaders for talks on later phases of his Gaza peace plan.At the summit Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the US signed a declaration as guarantors of the ceasefire deal which is aimed at ending two years of war that has left Gaza in ruins.But amid the diplomatic celebrations and the joy during reunions in Israel and the Palestinian territories, many challenges still lie ahead if the ceasefire is to be built into a lasting peace.The latter phases of Trump’s 20-point peace plan are fraught with sticking points, and intense negotiations will be needed in order to move forward.Monday’s hostage and prisoner exchange completed the initial phase of the deal – and came after a ceasefire took effect on Friday and an increase of humanitarian aid entered Gaza over the weekend.”I am overwhelmed with emotion and joy,” said Arbel Yehoud, a former hostage herself who was reunited with her partner Ariel Cunio when he was released on Monday.”For over two years, the hope of holding Ariel again is what sustained and drove me every single day,” she said.Though the releases went largely as planned, Israel’s hostage families expressed outrage that Hamas said it would only return the bodies of four of the deceased hostages. The Israeli military said it would carry out forensic tests before confirming their identities and informing their families.It is thought the remains of up to 24 others hostages remain in Gaza. The ceasefire agreement, published by Israeli media, appears to have acknowledged that Hamas and other Palestinian factions may not be able to locate where all the remains are within the timeframe given.As part of the agreement, around 1,700 Palestinian detainees who had been held by Israel without c …
