Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday, rallying ahead of the anticipated release of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.
Addressing the massive crowd, US special envoy Steve Witkoff assured that the hostages “are coming home,” while crediting former US President Donald Trump for brokering the Gaza ceasefire and hostage exchange deal.
In Gaza, officials reported that around 500,000 displaced residents had returned to the devastated northern region over the past two days, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Meanwhile, Egypt announced it will host a high-level summit on Monday in Sharm El-Sheikh to finalise a permanent ceasefire and end the ongoing war.
A presidential spokesperson confirmed that over 20 world leaders, including Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, are expected to attend.
Trump is due to visit Israel before proceeding to Egypt, accompanied by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who both addressed the Tel Aviv gathering.
In a tragic development, three members of Qatar’s Amiri Diwan, the country’s top administrative body, died in a car crash near Sharm El-Sheikh, the Qatari embassy in Egypt confirmed. Qatar has played a key mediating role throughout the Gaza crisis.
Under the ceasefire and hostage-release agreement announced on Thursday, Hamas has 72 hours, until 12:00 local time (09:00 GMT) on Monday, to free all 48 remaining hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
Senior Hamas figure Osama Hamdan told AFP that, “According to the signed agreement, the prisoner exchange is set to begin on Monday morning as agreed, and there are no new developments on this matter.”
He added that militants on the ground had not yet updated the group’s leadership on logistical details.
For Israelis like Aviv Havron, whose family was devastated in the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, the moment is deeply personal. “It’s so important for the community… that they come back. Without this, we can’t restart our lives,” he told the BBC. “My sisters and two brothers-in-law were murdered. Seven of my family members were kidnapped, my older sister, her daughter, her grandchildren. Four bodies of Be’eri members are still in Gaza.”
Another couple at the rally, Shulamit and David Ginat, said every hostage must be rescued.
“They’re our brothers and sisters. We want to heal again. We want to stop the war, stop the pain and heal again,” Shulamit said.
While the crowd cheered for Trump, many booed at the mention of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing frustration over his handling of the war and the October 7 attack.
“He wants to continue the war only because he wants to stay prime minister,” David said.
In Gaza, Hamas has begun recalling fighters to reestablish control in areas vacated by Israeli troops, amid uncertainty over the territory’s future governance and reports of clashes between Hamas and local clans.
Displaced Palestinians continued moving north, many returning to rubble. “There is no house anymore. Everything is gone,” lawyer Mosa Aldous said from Gaza City. Raja Salmi, 52, told AFP she wept upon finding her home in Rimal reduced to dust. “I stood before it and cried. All those memories are now just dust,” she said.
Although the ceasefire agreement includes a major increase in humanitarian aid, the World Food Programme, told the BBC that only two to three aid trucks were entering Gaza each day.
The agency said it hopes to resume full food distribution through 145 aid centres once unrestricted access is restored.
Israel’s military coordination body, Cogat, claimed 500 trucks entered Gaza on Thursday, with 300 distributed by the UN and other organisations.
However, a UN-backed hunger report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification estimated that half a million people in Gaza, roughly a quarter of its population—are facing famine. Israel has denied claims of starvation, with Netanyahu arguing that any hunger in Gaza results from “failures of aid agencies and Hamas.”
The October 7, 2023 Hamas assault killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has since killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
