A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas held for a third day in Gaza on Sunday, bringing a fragile calm and allowing thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to devastated homes, as final preparations were made for a hostage and prisoner exchange and a high-stakes peace summit. The truce, part of a U.S.-brokered deal, has sparked a mix of hope and exhaustion after a two-year war that has left much of the territory in ruins.
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement, stating that the truce “is holding, and the withdrawals of the occupation army are continuing according to the agreement”. A key part of the first phase of the deal is the expected release of the remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Israel's hostage coordinator, Gal Hirsch, informed families that the release of hostages is expected to begin on Monday.
In exchange, Israel is set to release around 2,000 Palestinian detainees. This includes 250 prisoners serving life sentences and approximately 1,700 people seized from Gaza during the war. A Hamas official stated the group had "completed all preparations" for the handover but was insisting that Israel include seven senior Palestinian leaders, such as Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat, on the release list.
As the ceasefire holds, thousands of Palestinians have been journeying back to their neighborhoods in northern Gaza, including Gaza City, only to find widespread destruction. Satellite imagery has shown lines of vehicles traveling north on Al Rashid Street, with many people finding their homes reduced to rubble and being forced to live in tents along the coast.
For many, the joy of return is tempered by grief and the scale of the loss. "My eyes kept searching for landmarks I had lost – nothing looked the same, even the neighbours’ houses were gone," said Fatima Salem, 38. "I missed the smell of my home, even if it’s now just rubble. We will pitch a tent next to it and wait for reconstruction". The sentiment was echoed by another returnee, Rami Mohammad-Ali, who described "bitter feelings about the destruction" and the sight of human remains scattered along the roads.
U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive in the region on Monday, where he will address the Israeli Knesset before traveling to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, to co-chair a peace summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The summit aims to "end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security".
World leaders, including the UN Secretary-General and the leaders of Britain, France, and Italy, are expected to attend. A senior Hamas official expressed hope that the conference would "confirm the end of the war and provide guarantees against the resumption of aggression", a concern given that Israel's Defense Minister has already instructed the military to prepare to destroy Hamas's tunnel network after the hostages are returned.
Preparations are underway to ramp up humanitarian aid into Gaza, with COGAT, the Israeli defense body in charge of aid coordination, stating that the amount is expected to increase to around 600 trucks daily as stipulated in the agreement. The United Nations has stated it has about 170,000 metric tons of food, medicine, and other aid ready to enter once Israel gives the green light.
The need is desperate. The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its population. Amjad Al Shawa, who heads a Palestinian organization coordinating with aid groups, estimated that 300,000 tents are needed to temporarily house 1.5 million displaced Gazans. The head of the Gaza Government Media Office has demanded "an urgent plan for the comprehensive reconstruction of the Gaza Strip," where over 90% of civilian infrastructure has been destroyed.