In a historic breakthrough, Hamas freed the last 20 surviving Israeli hostages on Monday under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, signaling a turning point after two years of war in Gaza Strip. Donald Trump, speaking before Israel’s parliament, hailed the release as “the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”

Crowds gathered at “Hostage Square” in Tel Aviv, cheering and embracing as the Red Cross transferred the hostages to Israeli authorities. Under the deal, Israel began releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners serving long or life sentences and more than 1,700 detainees held without charge since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023.

“The skies are calm, the guns are silent, and the sun rises on a Holy Land finally at peace,” Trump said before departing for Egypt, where he will attend a summit aimed at laying the groundwork for lasting peace. But major obstacles remain to resolving the Gaza conflict and the broader, decades-old Israeli-Palestinian tensions.

Meanwhile, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum expressed shock after learning that only four bodies of deceased hostages would be released on Monday, calling it “a blatant breach of the agreement by Hamas.” The remains of 28 hostages are still in Gaza and are expected to be returned under the ceasefire terms.