First Israel hostages released by Hamas as Donald Trump says ‘war is over’

Israel has confirmed that Hamas has released several hostages as Donald Trump boasts that the Gaza peace deal “could be the biggest thing I was ever involved in”. The US president has now arrived in Israel.

Loved ones in Israel celebrated as TV stations announced the first seven hostages had been passed on to the Red Cross. A total of 48 people are set to be released by Hamas.

Speaking ahead of what will be a deeply emotional day, Mr Trump said: “The war is over, you understand that, I think [the Middle East] is going to normalise.”

Later, Mr Trump will travel to take centre stage at an international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, before an expected tour of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Mr Trump and Egyptian president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi will host the talks alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, and Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez.

Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas will also attend, along with United Nations secretary-general António Guterres. Iran will not be represented, despite being invited.

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