Ceasefire Prompts Aid Surge and Hostage Release Preparations in Gaza

Preparations are in progress to escalate humanitarian aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip under a recently established ceasefire agreement, aiming to alleviate the severe conditions resulting from the two-year conflict. The Israeli defense body overseeing aid to Gaza, COGAT, announced plans to increase the daily aid influx to approximately 600 trucks, as stipulated in the agreement. Egypt has committed to sending 400 aid trucks on Sunday, carrying medical supplies, tents, blankets, food, and fuel. These trucks will undergo inspection by Israeli forces before entering Gaza. Recent months have seen the United Nations and its partners delivering only 20% of the necessary aid due to ongoing hostilities, border closures, and Israeli restrictions. The conflict has led to a hunger crisis, with famine declared in parts of the territory. The United Nations has indicated readiness to dispatch about 170,000 metric tons of food, medicine, and other humanitarian aid once Israel grants approval. The future of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an Israeli- and U.S.-backed contractor that replaced the U.N. aid operation in Gaza in May, remains uncertain. Food distribution sites operated by GHF in Rafah and central Gaza have been dismantled following the ceasefire deal. Residents reported dismantling structures and taking materials from these sites. GHF had been promoted as an alternative system to prevent Hamas from seizing aid; however, its operations faced challenges, including incidents where hundreds of Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire while approaching its distribution sites. A GHF representative declined to comment on the current situation. Concurrently, preparations are underway for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Gal Hirsch, Israel's coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing, informed hostage families to prepare for the release of their loved ones starting Monday morning. Hirsch stated that preparations in hospitals and at the Rei'im camp are complete to receive the live hostages, while the deceased will be transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification. An international task force will commence efforts to locate deceased hostages not returned within the 72-hour period. Israeli officials estimate that about 20 of the 48 hostages held by Hamas and other Palestinian factions in Gaza are still alive, with all expected to be released on Monday. U.S. President Donald Trump, who played a role in facilitating the ceasefire deal, is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Monday morning. He plans to meet with families of hostages and address the Knesset, Israel's parliament. Following his visit to Israel, President Trump will travel to Egypt to co-chair a "peace summit" with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, attended by regional and international leaders. The timing for the release of approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, as part of the deal, has not been announced. These include 250 individuals serving life sentences and 1,700 people detained from Gaza during the war without charge. Health authorities in Gaza are preparing for the return of 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom are expected to require urgent medical treatment, as well as the bodies taken by Israel's military from the strip. Dr. Mounir al-Boursh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, expressed hope that the bodies of medical personnel who died in Israeli detention centers will be among those returned and called for the release of detained doctors Hossam Abu Safiya and Marwan al-Hams. Residents of Gaza are beginning to return to areas vacated by Israeli forces, although many are finding their homes reduced to rubble. Satellite imagery shows lines of vehicles traveling north to Gaza City, with tents along the coast near the city's marina, indicating that many people have been living along the sea to avoid being targeted during Israeli bombardments. Armed police from the Hamas-run Interior Ministry have been seen patrolling streets and securing aid trucks in areas from which the Israeli military has withdrawn. The conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, has resulted in significant casualties and displacement. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, with around half being women and children. The war has devastated large portions of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its 2 million residents. While the initial halt to fighting and plans for hostage and prisoner releases have been welcomed, the long-term prospects of the ceasefire remain uncertain. Key issues regarding the governance of Gaza and the future role of Hamas have yet to be resolved. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to prepare for the destruction of Hamas's tunnel network under Gaza through an international mechanism led and supervised by the U.S. once the hostages are released.