GAZA CITY, Palestine: Gaza’s health authorities said on Sunday that hospitals had received the bodies of 124 people killed in Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours, bringing the war death toll to 67,806 since October 2023, as Israel and Hamas prepared for a prisoner-hostage exchange under a US-brokered ceasefire.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said 117 of the 124 bodies were recovered from under rubble following overnight bombardments. Another 33 people were reported injured during the same period.
According to the ministry, 170,066 Palestinians have been wounded since Israel launched its offensive on the Gaza Strip following the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023.
Hostage Release Scheduled for Monday
An Israeli government spokesperson said on Sunday that the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza would begin early on Monday.
“All 20 living hostages are expected to be released together at one time,” the spokesperson told AFP.
Under the agreement, Hamas will free the captives in exchange for the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners, including some serving life sentences, and around 1,700 Gazans detained since the war began, according to Israel’s prison service.
Hamas Will Not Govern Post-War Gaza
A Hamas source told AFP that the Palestinian group would not take part in governing Gaza during the transitional phase following the ceasefire.
“For Hamas, the governance of the Gaza Strip is a closed issue. Hamas will not participate at all in the transitional phase, but it remains a fundamental part of the Palestinian fabric,” the source said as quoted by AFP.
The official added that while Hamas agreed to a long-term truce, it would not disarm entirely.
“Hamas agrees to a long-term truce, and for its weapons not to be used at all during this period, except in the event of an Israeli attack on Gaza,” the source said.
Trump to Attend Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt
US President Donald Trump, who helped broker the ceasefire, is scheduled to visit Israel on Monday before travelling to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for a major peace summit.
Trump is expected to meet Israeli leaders and address the Knesset before joining Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and leaders from more than 20 countries to discuss the implementation of what Cairo’s foreign ministry called a “document ending the war in the Gaza Strip.”
Among those expected to attend are UN Secretary-General António Guterres, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Neither Israel nor Hamas are expected to participate directly in the summit.
Under the Trump Peace Plan, Israeli forces will conduct a phased withdrawal from Gaza, to be replaced by a multinational force drawn from Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, and the United Arab Emirates, coordinated by a US-led command centre based in Israel.
Widespread Destruction in Gaza City
As the ceasefire took effect, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians returned to a devastated Gaza City. Gaza’s civil defence agency said more than 500,000 people had returned by Saturday evening.
Drone footage showed entire neighbourhoods flattened, with apartment blocks reduced to twisted concrete and steel.
“I stood before what used to be my home and cried. All those memories are now just dust,” said Raja Salmi, 52, a resident of the Al-Rimal neighbourhood.
Another resident, Sami Musa, 28, said Gaza City “felt like a ghost town”. “The smell of death still lingers in the air,” he told AFP.
The United Nations humanitarian office said Israel had agreed to allow agencies to deliver 170,000 tonnes of aid into Gaza if the ceasefire holds.
However, aid distribution has been chaotic, with residents in Khan Younis reporting that some shipments were being ransacked by desperate civilians.
“We don’t want to live in a jungle. We demand aid be secured and distributed respectfully,” said Mohammed Zarab, a Khan Younis resident.
