A Gaza ceasefire was holding for a third day on Sunday, ahead of a proposed hostage-prisoner exchange and a summit aimed at charting a path to peace after two years of war.
US President Donald Trump is among the leaders expected in Egypt's Red Sea resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday for the Gaza peace summit co-hosted by his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The following are the latest key developments in the peace process:
Hostage-Prisoner Exchange
The Gaza peace deal hinges on both sides adhering to an agreement to exchange hostages seized from Israel in Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Israel and Hamas said the hostages would be released Monday morning, ahead of a midday (0900 GMT) deadline under the terms of the ceasefire agreement proposed by Trump.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier that Israel was "ready for the immediate reception of all our hostages."
The premier's office said the Palestinian prisoners would be "released once Israel has confirmation that all of our hostages set to be released tomorrow are across the border into Israel."
Gaza Summit
Trump and Sisi will chair the Gaza peace summit on Monday in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh.
The gathering 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 and stability," the Egyptian president's office said.
On Sunday, the Egyptian foreign ministry said a "document ending the war in the Gaza Strip" was expected to be signed during the "historic" gathering.
But neither of the warring parties will attend, with Netanyahu's office saying no Israeli officials would take part, following earlier confirmation from Hamas that it would not send representatives.
Among those expected to attend are UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Jordan's King Abdullah II, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Ceasefire Deal 'Complexities'
Hamas has agreed to the initial stage of the Gaza ceasefire deal, which includes the release of 48 Israeli hostages in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 Gazans held by Israel since the war broke out.
Hamas official Osama Hamdan told AFP in an interview Saturday that "the prisoner exchange is set to begin on Monday morning as agreed."
But senior Hamas official Hossam Badran said the plan's second phase, which includes the group's disarmament, "contains many complexities and difficulties."
Hamas's Post-War Role
A Hamas source close to the group's negotiating committee told AFP on Sunday that it would not participate in governing post-war Gaza.
The source, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said the Islamist movement has "relinquished control of the Strip" but stressed it "remains a fundamental part of the Palestinian fabric."
"Hamas agrees to a long-term truce, and for its weapons not to be used at all during this period, except in the event of an Israeli attack on Gaza," the source said.
Another Hamas official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, earlier told AFP the militant group's disarmament was "out of the question."
Israel Vows to Destroy Tunnels
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday it plans to eliminate what remains of Hamas's tunnel network under Gaza once the hostage releases are completed, under an "international mechanism" led by the United States.
Katz said he had ordered the military to prepare for the mission, calling the destruction of the tunnels Israel's "great challenge" after the exchange phase of the ceasefire.
Gazans Return to Devastated Homes
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians poured back into a shattered Gaza City on Saturday, a day after the guns fell silent.
Gaza's civil defense agency, which operates under Hamas' authority, said more than 500,000 people had returned by evening.
"I stood before it and cried. All those memories are now just dust," said Raja Salmi, 52, upon finding her home destroyed in Al-Rimal.
AFP
AFP
Comments