Jerusalem/Cairo ¨C Hamas handed over all 20 surviving hostages to Israel on Monday, a major step towards ending two years of devastating war in Gaza as U.S. President Donald Trump, who helped broker the truce, proclaimed it was ¡°a great day.¡±
The Israeli military said it had received the remaining 13 hostages after a first batch of seven arrived earlier Monday, announcements that prompted cheering, hugging and weeping among thousands waiting at ¡°Hostage Square¡± in Tel Aviv.
¡°This is a great day. This is a new beginning,¡± Trump said after arriving to a hero¡¯s welcome in Israel where he was addressing the Knesset, Israel¡¯s parliament, before flying on to Egypt for a summit aimed at building conditions for a lasting peace in Gaza.
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