Source: CNN
Declaring the “dawn of a new Middle East,” US President Donald Trump presided over the signing of a landmark ceasefire agreement on October 13, bringing an end to two years of devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The agreement was formalised during a leader-level summit in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, where Trump, flanked by leaders and mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, put his signature on the document. Earlier in the day, speaking before the Israeli parliament, Trump praised the deal as a testament to persistent diplomacy.
Emotional scenes unfolded across the region as the agreement was implemented. In Israel, the 20 freed hostages were flown to hospitals to be reunited with their families after more than two years in captivity. Their release was followed by the handover of four coffins to the Red Cross, containing the remains of deceased hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
Simultaneously, scenes of celebration erupted in the West Bank and Gaza as 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1 700 administrative detainees were released from Israeli custody. Buses carrying the freed individuals were met by massive, cheering crowds in Gaza, while families in the West Bank embraced relatives they had not seen in years.
“The road to recovery will be long,” said Dr Daniel Trotzky, the medical deputy director of the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, where five of the freed hostages are being treated. He noted that the returnees were in stable condition and were being supported by multidisciplinary teams of doctors, psychiatrists, and social workers. “Their condition appears stable, allowing them to focus on reuniting with their families, who have missed them dearly,” Trotzky stated.
In Washington, the Trump administration received widespread, though not universal, credit from former top US officials for its role in brokering the deal. Former Secretaries of state Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice, along with former vice president Kamala Harris, commended the administration’s efforts.
As the ink dries on the historic agreement, a region scarred by two years of conflict is filled with a mixture of profound relief and cautious optimism.
