Trump Says Hostages Being Retrieved ‘now’ As Aid Trucks Start Entering Gaza

Tens of thousands of Palestinians are returning home in Gaza as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas entered a second day. Many found only ruins while local authorities say scores of bodies have been pulled from rubble. Some aid has begun entering the territory under the terms of the agreement.

Israelis are expected to rally later as families of hostages held in Gaza await the return of their loved ones. The countdown for the release of hostages held by Hamas has begun and a source said it could come as early as overnight Sunday into Monday local time. Nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israel will also be freed.

US President Donald Trump, who will be in the region Monday, said yesterday hostages are being retrieved “now” and thinks the ceasefire will hold because countries involved in and affected by the conflict are “all tired of the fighting.”AllCatch Up

What are the sticking points in Trump’s ceasefire plan?

Israel and Hamas have still yet to agree to major sticking points tackled in the Trump administration’s 20-point ceasefire plan released last month, even with the first phase now underway.

Here are the key points of contention that might prove more challenging to resolve:

President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday.Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

Disarmament: Trump’s plan called for Hamas to “commit to peaceful co-existence” with Israel and lay down its arms. Hamas members who comply will be given amnesty under the plan. Disarmament has long been a red line for the militant group.

Post-war governance: The plan also called for a temporary transitional government to be established in Gaza, comprising a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” made up of “qualified Palestinians and international experts” and supervised by “a new international transitional body” called the Board of Peace.

Trump appeared to reference this board during an interview with Fox News, saying that his administration was “forming a council of peace” to maintain a lasting end to the conflict in the region.

But it is not yet known which individuals will be appointed to these bodies, nor how it will exercise authority over Gaza.

Israeli withdrawal: Trump’s plan also called for the creation of an “International Stabilization Force (ISF)” to be deployed to Gaza and train “vetted Palestinian police forces” in Gaza. With this force in place, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would then be expected to withdraw from Gaza. Israel has not yet agreed to these provisions.

Security guarantees: Hamas has long sought concrete assurances that Israel will not resume the war once it ends, pointing to how Israel shattered the last ceasefire agreement in March. If Hamas agrees to disarm, it is likely to demand even more robust security guarantees, but it is not clear whether Israel will agree to them.

In pictures: Palestinians in Gaza collect food aid boxes amid ceasefire

These pictures show Palestinians in Gaza collecting food supplies from aid trucks today amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

We reported earlier on how aid is beginning to move into Gaza as the ceasefire enters its second day, according to the Israeli agency that handles the transfer of humanitarian assistance (COGAT). The scale of the transfer of aid was not immediately clear.

As part of the ceasefire agreement reached this week, Israel agreed to the daily entry of 600 humanitarian aid trucks operated by the UN and other donors.

Palestinians collect aid supplies from a truck in Gaza on Saturday.Ramadan Abed/Reuters

Palestinians carry aid supplies in Gaza on Saturday.Ramadan Abed/Reuters

Palestinians collect aid supplies from a truck in Gaza on Saturday.

CNN