Israel begins implementing Trump-brokered truce; Palestinians return to ruins

NPC Repoerter
United Kingdom-Palestinians have started making their way back to northern Gaza, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly thanked former US President Donald Trump for brokering a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), troops have now withdrawn to the positions outlined under Trump’s plan but will continue operations to “remove any immediate threat”. The agreement marks the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage-return deal recently approved by the Israeli government.

Under the terms of the accord, Hamas has until 12:00 local time (10:00 BST) on Monday to release all Israeli hostages, while Israel will free hundreds of Palestinian detainees. Humanitarian aid convoys are also expected to move into Gaza, where more than two million people remain displaced amid severe shortages of food and medicine.

Witnesses in Gaza City report scenes of widespread destruction, with many returnees described as weak, exhausted and malnourished.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Justice Ministry has published a list of 250 Palestinian prisoners to be released as part of the deal. Among them are several high-profile figures, including:

• Iyad Abu al-Roub (51) – accused of leading Islamic Jihad in Jenin and involvement in a 2005 suicide bombing in Hadera.
• Muhammad Abu al-Roub (26) – convicted in 2017 for the fatal stabbing of an Israeli civilian in Kfar Qasim.
• Mahmoud Issa (57) – a Hamas affiliate jailed in 1993 for his role in the 1992 killing of Israeli border policeman Nissim Toledano.

Officials say all three men will be deported either to Gaza or to a third country as part of the exchange process.