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Freed Palestinian prisoners greeted by cheering crowd

Freed Palestinian prisoners greeted by cheering crowd
By Lyndal Rowlands, Ted Regencia, Caolán Magee, Usaid Siddiqui, Umut Uras, Stephen Quillen and Rory Sullivan
Published On 13 Oct 2025

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13 Oct 2025 - 23:59
 (23:59 GMT)

Thanks for joining us

For five takeaways from Trump’s comments in Israel and Egypt today, read here.

For details on the Palestinian detainees released in today’s exchange, check out this story.

And for all of our coverage of the ceasefire after two years of Israel’s war on Gaza, go here.

13 Oct 2025 - 23:55
 (23:55 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

This live page will be closing soon. Here are the day’s major developments:

  • Hamas released all 20 Israeli captives it held in Gaza, while Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees under the terms of the ceasefire deal.
  • US President Trump took a whirlwind tour to Israel and Egypt, addressing the Israeli Knesset and then co-chairing a Gaza peace summit in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.
  • Speaking to a host of world leaders at the gathering in Egypt, Trump said the “war is over” and hailed “a tremendous day for the Middle East”.
  • Trump and the leaders of Egypt, Turkiye and Qatar also signed a document as guarantors to the Gaza deal, which the US president said spells out “rules and regulations” for the ceasefire.
  • A senior United Nations official said that more life-saving assistance – including tents, meat, flour and medicine – is being funnelled into war-ravaged Gaza.
13 Oct 2025 - 23:50
 (23:50 GMT)

US ex-President Clinton urges Israel, Hamas to seize ‘lasting peace’

Former US President Bill Clinton, who once hosted the signing of the historic Oslo Accords, has said he is “grateful” for the ceasefire in Gaza, an agreement he says Trump and mediator Qatar deserved credit for.

“Now Israel and Hamas – with the support of the United States, the region, and the world – must try to turn this fragile moment into lasting peace that provides for the dignity and security of both Palestinians and Israelis,” he said in a statement.

13 Oct 2025 - 23:40
 (23:40 GMT)

Photos: Aid trucks continue to enter Gaza after truce

UN vehicles escort aid trucks in Gaza City [Mohammed Nassar/Anadolu]
Trucks loaded with aid enter Gaza through the Kissufim crossing between the enclave and Israel [Mohammed Nassar/Anadolu]
A scene from the Kissufim crossing as aid trucks make their way into Gaza [Mohammed Nassar/Anadolu]

13 Oct 2025 - 23:30
 (23:30 GMT)

More from Trump ‘declaration’ to bring peace to Palestine and Israel

Here are more details of what is covered in the US declaration:

  • The document was signed by the four countries that have acted as mediators in the ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, and they commit to “the resolution of future disputes through diplomatic engagement and negotiation rather than through force or protracted conflict”.
  • The declaration includes several references to economic prosperity, and the importance of protecting the “fundamental human rights” of “both Palestinians and Israelis”.
  • It recognises that the Middle East has “deep historical and spiritual significance” to faith communities, including people from Christian, Muslim and Jewish backgrounds.
  • “Respect for these sacred connections and the protection of their heritage sites shall remain paramount in our commitment to peaceful coexistence,” it says.
  • “No society can flourish when violence and racism is normalised or when radical ideologies threaten the fabric of civil life.”
13 Oct 2025 - 23:20
 (23:20 GMT)
Analysis

‘Netanyahu has no ability to resume the war’ on Gaza

Yariv Oppenheimer, the head of The Two-State Coalition based in Tel Aviv, says that Trump is the only world leader capable of ending Israel’s war on Gaza.

“When he says the war is over, the war is over. Netanyahu has no ability to resume the war, no chance,” Oppenheimer told Al Jazeera. “He will not have the support of the Israeli public as well.”

He suggested that Israel’s leader may want to view Gaza now as he does Lebanon, where he can hit it sometimes with air strikes on Hamas headquarters.

“But I don’t think Trump will allow it. When Trump says this is the end of the war, this is what he’s given to get back the hostages in the first 72 hours of this deal. This is the world of Trump.”

13 Oct 2025 - 23:10
 (23:10 GMT)

Five key takeaways from Trump’s Gaza remarks in Middle East

By Ali Harb

Despite the carnage in Gaza, United States President Donald Trump has received a hero’s welcome across the Middle East as he visited Israel and Egypt to celebrate the ceasefire deal.

Throughout the trip, Trump expressed joy and took personal credit for ending Israel’s war on Gaza, which killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians in a campaign that leading rights advocates have described as a genocide.

Here are key takeaways from Trump’s remarks.

13 Oct 2025 - 23:00
 (23:00 GMT)

White House shares text of Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity

The White House has shared the wording of the Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity, which was signed by the leaders of the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye.

The declaration says the leaders “welcome the truly historic commitment and implementation by all parties to the Trump Peace Agreement, ending more than two years of profound suffering and loss”.

“Together, we will implement this agreement in a manner that ensures peace, security, stability, and opportunity for all peoples of the region, including both Palestinians and Israelis,” the declaration adds.

The document was signed by Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

13 Oct 2025 - 22:45
 (22:45 GMT)

‘A lot of questions’ remain over Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan

By Patty Culhane

Reporting from Washington, DC

The US Central Command has detailed a few hundred soldiers who we believe will monitor that the ceasefire continues and monitor aid going into Gaza. We’re not really sure where they are going to be based.

But although Trump seemed to say this ceasefire is a done deal, he has a 20-point plan, and we’re at the fifth point. So, there are still a lot of questions, such as who is going to make up this technocratic government that takes over the administration of Palestine?

Who is going to provide forces for this international security force that we believe is going to be made up of mostly Muslim countries?

The deal says Israeli forces will pull back when they can hand over land to that international security force. A lot of questions remain.

The message the White House has been trying to send is that this is done and dusted, but experts will tell you it is clearly far from it.

13 Oct 2025 - 22:30
 (22:30 GMT)

WHO says it scaled up aid operations since Gaza truce

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says, “Improvement in access to health facilities and the ability to expand our missions are crucial first steps in providing immediate health support to Palestinians across Gaza.”

The World Health Organization chief said the agency has been increasingly active in different parts of the war-ravaged enclave after the ceasefire was announced.

The release of Israeli and Palestinian prisoners offers hope to everyone who has suffered over the past two years, Tedros added, noting that this week’s developments in Gaza are a significant step in the right direction.

“Gaza’s health system must be rehabilitated and rebuilt. This crisis gives us the opportunity to rebuild it better, stronger, fairer and centred on people’s needs. The best medicine is peace.”

13 Oct 2025 - 22:15
 (22:15 GMT)

Middle East leaders want US to keep ‘eye on the ball’ after Gaza summit

By Mohammed Jamjoom

Reporting from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt

Trump spoke many times at the summit. There was a joint news conference with Egyptian President el-Sisi, as well as a signing ceremony.

But then at one point, Trump said the cameras were going to leave the room and that he was going to speak to the leaders privately.

What we anticipated was that meant some of these leaders were going to have, maybe, a less diplomatic discussion with him, saying the US can’t just walk away from this now, thinking this is a total victory.

Washington needs to continue to keep its eye on the ball and make sure the parties adhere to all points of the plan going forward, because they’re worried the ceasefire is perhaps more fragile than it seems at the moment.

US President Donald Trump during a signing ceremony on Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh [Evan Vucci via AP]
13 Oct 2025 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)

Photos: Israelis wait for bodies of captives in Tel Aviv

Israelis stand in front of the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv [Jalaa Marey/AFP]
Israeli soldiers salute as vehicles drive by transporting the bodies of four captives from Gaza [Jalaa Marey/AFP]
People carry flowers and Israeli flags upon the arrival of vehicles transporting the bodies [Jalaa Marey/AFP]

13 Oct 2025 - 21:45
 (21:45 GMT)

LISTEN: As Palestinians return to ruins, will Trump’s ceasefire hold?

After two years of genocide and only days into a new ceasefire, Palestinians are returning to Gaza City to find devastation: no homes, power, or family.

Now, days after US President Donald Trump announced his plan to end the bloody war, he arrived in the Middle East to solidify it. There is optimism, but questions remain. Namely, will this deal hold?

13 Oct 2025 - 21:30
 (21:30 GMT)

US Senator Bernie Sanders says Palestinians must ‘determine their future’

Progressive US Senator Bernie Sanders has released a statement on the latest developments in Israel and Gaza, saying he welcomes the captive-prisoner exchange and hopes the ceasefire will hold.

“The immediate priority now, amidst widespread malnutrition and starvation, must be to ensure that desperately needed humanitarian aid quickly reaches the people of Gaza,” said Sanders.

A global effort to rebuild Gaza must also begin, but Palestinians themselves must “guide this process and determine their future”, he added.

Sanders said the US must contend with its “role in this extremely dark chapter”, including its provision of weapons Israel used for the “horrendous destruction” of Gaza.

13 Oct 2025 - 21:15
 (21:15 GMT)

WATCH: What’s the US planning for the Middle East?

US President Donald Trump made a last-minute trip to the Middle East in the wake of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

He landed in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh late after having flown in from Israel, where he addressed the Israeli Knesset.

The first phase of Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan has now been completed, with Hamas releasing all 20 living Israeli captives in Gaza and Israel freeing Palestinian prisoners in the occupied West Bank.

Al Jazeera’s Inside Story discusses whether this deal will finally bring peace to the region:

13 Oct 2025 - 21:00
 (21:00 GMT)

US Democrats praise Republican Trump over Gaza peace deal

Even political opponents in the United States have hailed President Donald Trump’s role in the Gaza ceasefire deal, which saw the release of all living captives held by Hamas shortly before his arrival in the Middle East.

Democratic former President Bill Clinton said in a statement that Trump and his administration “deserve great credit for keeping everyone engaged until the agreement was reached”.

Jake Sullivan – who, as an adviser on national security for former US President Joe Biden, handled the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel- told CNN that “I give credit to President Trump.”

But, he added, “the question is, ‘Can we make sure this sticks as we go forward?'”

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasser Arafat, right, gestures to Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, left, as US President Bill Clinton looks on in 1993 [File: Gary Hershorn/Reuters]
13 Oct 2025 - 20:50
 (20:50 GMT)

‘A very dystopian reality right now for Palestinians’

Ines Abdel Razek, co-director of the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy, says this is the start of a difficult period for Palestinians, even though many are trying to portray the Gaza ceasefire as the end of the struggle.

“I think a lot of Palestinians have many mixed feelings today,” Razek told Al Jazeera from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

She said it is a moment of joy for the Palestinians as they’re welcoming prisoners after years in Israeli jails, and people in Gaza celebrate the ceasefire after two years of devastating war.

“But I think we live in a very dystopian reality right now, where Israel is patting itself on the back and the world is celebrating war criminals,” Razek said.

“Israel and Netanyahu have blood on their hands,” she added, stressing that Israel’s control over the Palestinian territories is not over.

13 Oct 2025 - 20:40
 (20:40 GMT)

Egypt attendees believed to have objected to Netanyahu coming

By Mohammed Jamjoom

Reporting from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt

Let’s talk about who didn’t attend the Gaza peace summit because that caused quite a kerfuffle earlier in the day.

Of course, we knew Hamas was not going to be attending. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not expected to attend the summit, either.

But several hours ago, it was reported he had been invited as well. Then it was reported that the Israeli leader had agreed. But then it was reported in the Israeli press that Netanyahu’s office stated he would not attend because it is close to a religious holiday.

There’s been no official response about this, but there’s been a lot of speculation here that perhaps some of the attendees who were on their way to Sharm el-Sheikh objected privately to the Trump administration, and said maybe they wouldn’t show up if Netanyahu were to be there.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to welcome US President Donald Trump to Israel on Monday [Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images]
13 Oct 2025 - 20:30
 (20:30 GMT)

The last news report of slain Gaza journalist

Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi was shot dead in Gaza City. He was just 28 years old.

Aljafarawi – who gained prominence for his videos covering Israel’s devastating war – was shot and killed by members of an armed group while covering clashes in the city’s Sabra neighbourhood.

This is his last report:

13 Oct 2025 - 20:20
 (20:20 GMT)

After Israel’s war halted, who is clashing with Hamas in Gaza?

By Justin Salhani

Israeli air strikes on Gaza may have halted, and a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas is ongoing. But tucked behind the headlines, tensions are brewing in Gaza between Hamas and armed groups.

On Sunday, clashes erupted between an armed clan and Hamas security forces, killing at least 27 people, including eight members of Hamas, according to the Ministry of Interior in Gaza.

Caught in the crossfire was 28-year-old Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi, who was covering clashes in Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood between what security sources told Al Jazeera was an “armed militia” and Hamas.

But is this the only militia in Gaza? Who are these armed gangs? What are their goals? And are they affiliated with Israel?

Read more here.

Palestinian fighters stand guard during a prisoner swap between Hamas and Israel in Khan Younis, Gaza [Ramadan Abed/Reuters]