UN warns Gaza still needs ‘lifesaving aid’ as world leaders gather in Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss 20-point proposal
There was a rare moment of joy among Israelis and Palestinians on Monday as Hamas released the remaining 20 living hostages in Gaza as part of a swap deal for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, on a day world leaders met in Egypt to try to ensure the current limited truce is extended into a durable peace.
Addressing the summit, the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, called for the ceasefire in Gaza to usher in a new era in the Middle East. “Let the Gaza war be the last of wars in the region,” the president said, amid widespread anxiety over how long the current truce will last.
In Tel Aviv, an estimated 65,000 Israelis gathered in “hostages square” and cheered when a military helicopter carrying the 20 freed Israelis flew over the crowd on the way to a nearby hospital. Live footage of their release and their family reunions was broadcast on large screens around the square. The plaza has been the centre of the national campaign for their release since 250 Israelis were abducted on 7 October 2023 in the surprise Hamas attack on southern Israeli communities which killed 1,200 people and ignited the conflict.
