US, Arab nations sign declaration backing Gaza ceasefire as final living hostages return to Israel
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US, Arab nations sign declaration backing Gaza ceasefire as final living hostages return to Israel
The United States joined Egypt, Qatar and Turkey in signing a historic agreement Monday to uphold the Gaza ceasefire, hours after Hamas released the final 20 living hostages captured during the October 7, 2023 attacks. President Donald Trump traveled from Israel to Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh resort to ink the deal, declaring “we have peace in the Middle East” while pledging American support for Gaza’s reconstruction after two years of devastating conflict that has claimed nearly 68,000 Palestinian lives according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The hostage exchange sparked both celebration and controversy as Israel welcomed home the surviving captives and released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in return. However, Hamas returned only four bodies of the 24 deceased hostages still held, prompting the Hostages and Missing Families Forum to accuse the militant group of breaching the agreement. Neither Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor Hamas representatives attended the Egyptian summit, though Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with Trump after receiving a last-minute invitation to the gathering aimed at solidifying the fragile ceasefire.
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