GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians returned to a devastated Gaza City on Saturday, as Hamas warned the next stage in US President Donald Trump’s peace plan would be more difficult than the first.
Trump’s Middle East envoy promised Israeli hostage families their loved ones would be returned to them by Monday, and the region’s top US general visited Gaza one day after the guns fell silent.
“Your courage has moved the world,” US peace envoy Witkoff told the families and huge crowd in Tel Aviv. “To the hostages themselves: you are coming home,” he declared, as Israelis chanted “Thank you Trump.”
Israel and Hamas are now expected to release hostages and prisoners, two years after the Palestinian militant group’s October 7, 2023 attack triggered a counteroffensive that killed more than 67,000 Palestinians.
But mediators still have to secure a longer-term political solution that will see Hamas hand in its weapons and step aside from governing Gaza.
