Release of Israeli hostages: “A new chapter can begin”

After 738 days of captivity, the Islamist Hamas has released all remaining Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip. The radical Islamic terrorist organization initially released seven hostages and handed them over to the Red Cross – they have now arrived on Israeli territory. Among them are the three German citizens Alon Ohel, Gali Berman and Ziv Berman. A few hours later, 13 more followed. The bodies of 28 hostages have yet to be handed over.

The handover to Israel came as part of the first phase of the peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump. There is great relief – and not just among the people in Israel, who are frantically celebrating Donald Trump there.

Trump himself described the agreement between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza war as possibly the greatest success of his career. The agreement “could be the biggest thing I’ve ever been involved in,” Trump told a reporter from the US news site Axios on Monday while en route to the Middle East.

Trump brokered the agreement by putting pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas – supported by Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. Trump is already celebrating the Gaza agreement as a breakthrough and sees lasting peace in the Middle East. However, many questions in the conflict between Israel and Hamas as well as in the region remain unresolved. The future of the Gaza Strip is also completely open.

In a statement released on Monday, Hamas’ armed wing reiterated its commitment to the terms of the deal, provided Israel also adheres to them. Israel agreed to the ceasefire and exchange after its military offensive failed to free the hostages, it said. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) called on Israel to allow more aid into the area.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sees the release of the hostages by Hamas as a sign of hope and an opportunity for peace. The return of people from captivity is a moment of relief for the whole world, she wrote on social networks. “It means that a chapter can be closed. A new one can begin.”

Von der Leyen also announced EU support for the peace plan. The planned treaty to end the war between Israel and Hamas will be a historic milestone and the EU is ready to contribute to its success with all the means at its disposal, she said. Specifically, they want to support the Palestinian Authority with reforms and improving governance. In addition, the EU will be an active force within the donor group for Palestine and will provide EU funds for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his joy on Platform X: “I share the joy of the families and the people of Israel after seven hostages have just been handed over to the Red Cross.” Macron will attend a Middle East summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday with heads of state and government from more than 20 countries. He confirmed that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was also expected at the summit. “It is a good signal that he has been invited,” Macron said after his arrival in Egypt, adding: “Peace for Israel, Gaza and the region will be possible.”

The most important thing now is to resume emergency aid in the Gaza Strip. France will also work together with the USA, European and Arab states to guarantee long-term security. These included the training of Palestinian security forces, the deployment of an international force and a framework for the disarmament of Hamas, explained Macron. There is a broad consensus that countries in the region should primarily take part.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described today’s release of the first hostages by the Islamist Hamas as the beginning of the “decisive phase” to end the war. “Now we must create lasting peace and a secure future for the entire region,” Starmer wrote on Platform X. Britain will provide humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza.

Starmer will also take part in the “Middle East Peace Ceremony” at midday to mark the agreement between Israel and Hamas in the Egyptian coastal town of Sharm el-Sheikh. Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz will also arrive.

Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed the hope that Israel and the Palestinians would renounce violence in the Middle East conflict. “I hope that the Palestinian people will now find a way to free themselves from Hamas,” said Wadephul on Deutschlandfunk. It is “in the Palestinians’ own interest” that they peacefully achieve their legitimate goal of living together in their own state. “Incidentally, I believe that the most important motivation for the Palestinians to turn away from Hamas is that they have a realistic chance of their own statehood,” said Wadephul.

We are now at a good starting point for further negotiations and discussions, but these must also be held. However, he does not consider deploying German soldiers in the region to be the best solution. “We will certainly make our contribution. Germany will make a decisive contribution to reconstruction. This has been agreed in the federal government.”

The war was triggered by the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage in Israel. Israeli airstrikes and ground offensives have since devastated the Gaza Strip. According to Hamas-controlled health authorities there, more than 67,000 Palestinians were killed. The war has also reshaped the Middle East through Israel’s conflicts with Iran, the Lebanese Hezbollah militia and the Houthis in Yemen.

The releases are a central part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement that was negotiated last week in the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh with mediation primarily from the USA, Egypt and Qatar. Progress towards lasting peace now also depends on the results of a summit meeting at which more than 20 heads of state and government under the leadership of Trump will meet in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, including Chancellor Friedrich Merz. It is still unclear what the future of the Gaza Strip will be. Trump wants to give a speech in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, this morning.