On October 13, local time, Hamas released a total of 20 Israeli detainees in two batches and returned the remains of 4 Israeli personnel. Israel also said it had released 1986 Palestinian detainees.
In addition, the "peace summit" also closed in Egypt on the same day, and neither Hamas nor Israel sent representatives to attend. at which the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey signed an agreement on ending the Gaza conflict.
US President Trump said on the same day that the second phase of negotiations on the Gaza ceasefire agreement "has begun". However, the root cause of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has not been solved, and it is still unknown whether the negotiations can proceed smoothly and whether the ceasefire can be sustained.
Israel and Hamas release detainees separately
According to the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) exchanged detainees on the 13th.
On the same day, Hamas released a total of 20 Israeli detainees in two batches. The first batch of 7 people was released that morning, and the remaining 13 people were later released and handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Israel said that these 20 people have been sent to hospitals in the central part of the country.
On the same day, the Israeli Prisons Service announced that it had released 1986 Palestinian detainees in accordance with the agreement. In places such as the West Bank city of Ramallah, buses carrying freed Palestinians arrived and were welcomed by local people.
Later that day, Hamas handed the remains of four Israeli detainees over to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which later announced that it had received the remains of four Israeli detainees.
On the same day, Israel urged Hamas to abide by the agreement and return the remains of all 28 Israeli detainees. Israeli Defense Minister Katz said that Hamas only handed over the remains of four detained persons, and "any delay or deliberate evasion" would be regarded as a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement and Israel would respond.
The Peace Summit closed.
None of the parties to the conflict were present.
The summit was jointly chaired by Egyptian President Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed his attendance before the meeting and cancelled his visit at the last minute. Hamas did not send a representative.
At the opening ceremony, the leaders of U.S. President Trump, Egyptian President Sisi, Turkish President Erdogan and Emir Tamim of Qatar signed a ceasefire agreement in Gaza to end the war. The summit lasted for several hours. The Egyptian Presidential Palace issued a post-closing statement saying that Egypt will continue to support Palestine, support its legitimate and inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination, and adhere to the implementation of the "two-state solution."
Unclear causes of contradictions
Gaza ceasefire negotiations
On the 13th local time, U.S. President Trump said that the second phase of negotiations on the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip "has begun."
Experts pointed out that subsequent peace efforts in Gaza face challenges at least three levels:
- First, there are still hard-to-solve problems in the second phase of the negotiations, with significant differences between the two sides on the issue of disarmament by Hamas, the post-war governance structure in Gaza, and whether Israel should fully withdraw its troops from Gaza.
- Secondly, there are some voices of opposition within Israel and Hamas to the current Gaza peace plan. The far-right forces within Israel's ruling coalition oppose a reconciliation with Hamas. They hope to completely eliminate Hamas and even occupy Gaza for a long time. There are also different opinions within Hamas, believing that Hamas is determined not to give up its weapons.
- In addition, the international mediator’s current reconciliation is a quick and quick way, a fast-food way. Reconciliation does not solve the root problems of the conflict. The background of the Israeli issue is very complex and the contradictions are very deep.