Politics Israel awaits hostages - Trump: Gaza war is over
The whole world has been waiting for this moment: In the coming hours, the handover of the last remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip by the Islamist Hamas is to begin in camera.
13.10.2025, 03:15
SDA
They are to be handed over to employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at three locations, as the German Press Agency has learned from Hamas circles. According to Israeli sources, there are 20 abductees. In return, Israel must release almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from its jails in accordance with the ceasefire agreement. Among them are up to 250 who have been sentenced to life imprisonment.
According to a representative, Israel's military is not assuming that Hamas will be able to hand over all 28 dead hostages today - and thus within the 72-hour deadline agreed as part of the ceasefire. There is concern in Israel that Hamas will not be able to find all the bodies in the largely destroyed Gaza Strip, or that it claims to be unable to do so. In addition to Hamas, other Islamist terrorist groups also took part in the attack in Israel on October 7, 2023. Around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage in Gaza. It was the trigger for the war.
Trump: "The war is over"
According to US President Donald Trump, the war in the Gaza Strip is over, regardless of the further peace negotiations that are still pending. "The war is over," the Republican told journalists on board Air Force One on his way to Israel. He assumed that the ceasefire would hold. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the other hand, had previously said that the fighting was not yet over. "There are still major security challenges ahead of us." Some enemies were trying to recover in order to attack again, the Israeli head of government had said.
On the eve of the expected handover of the hostages, Netanyahu spoke of a "historic event". It was "the beginning of a new path. A path of reconstruction, a path of healing," he said in a video address. In addition to the joy over the return of the kidnapped hostages, the day would also be marked by sadness over "the release of the murderers", he added, referring to the Palestinian prisoners to be released.
After the hostages have been handed over to ICRC staff, the abductees will then be handed over to the Israeli military within the coastal strip. At the Reim military camp on the edge of the Gaza Strip, there will be a first reunion with relatives, a medical examination and the opportunity to shower and change clothes. The people will then be flown to hospitals for further treatment. The mortal remains of 27 other Hamas hostages and an Israeli soldier who was killed in 2014 are also to be handed over to Israel.
Trump before departure to Israel: "Everyone is cheering at the same time"
This morning (local time), Trump first wants to meet relatives of the hostages in Israel and then give a speech in front of the Knesset - the Israeli parliament. In the afternoon, he will then travel on to the Egyptian coastal town of Sharm el-Sheikh for a "Middle East peace ceremony" to mark the agreement he brokered between Israel and Hamas. More than 20 heads of state and government are expected there, including from Europe and the Arab world. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will also be attending.
Shortly before his departure to the Middle East, Trump told journalists about the successful negotiations: "Everyone is cheering at the same time. This has never happened before. Normally only one person cheers while the other does the opposite." It was the first time that everyone had been enthusiastic, the Republican said.
Situation in the Gaza Strip desperate
After two years of war, the situation for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which is sealed off by Israel, is desperate. Hundreds of thousands of people have to find their way in a largely destroyed landscape of rubble, presumably littered with unexploded ordnance, in which they can only survive with permanent external aid.
Since the beginning of the ceasefire, Israel has allowed more aid supplies into the area: around 600 trucks are expected to enter every day. According to the UN, this is the minimum amount needed to provide the population with at least the bare necessities. According to Israeli security circles, it should also be possible to repair water pipes, sewage systems and bakeries, for example.
On the day before the planned handover of the abductees at the so-called Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, Israeli President Izchak Herzog had said that many of Israel's enemies and critics tended to accuse the country of seeking a constant battle against its opponents. This is not true. "As soon as the hostages are back, Israel will not go to war. Israel is committed to respecting this agreement and wants to strive for peace with its neighbors and finally bring about a change in the future of the region," he said.
However, it is not foreseeable whether the agreement will lead to a longer-term end to the fighting in Gaza. Two of the biggest points of contention remain the disarmament of Hamas, which is provided for in Trump's peace plan, and the complete withdrawal of Israel's army from the area. Following an agreed withdrawal, it continues to occupy around half of Gaza. Hamas also continues to deny Israel's right to exist, while Netanyahu and his far-right government partners want to smash Hamas completely.
