BBC:
Israelis and Palestinians have celebrated as a major hostage and prisoner exchange on Monday marked a significant step towards ending two years of war in Gaza.
In a crucial first phase of the US-brokered plan to end the war, Hamas returned all living Israeli hostages, while Israel freed almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
There were emotional scenes as families of the Israeli hostages screamed and cried with happiness as they embraced their freed loved ones.
And for the Palestinians who were freed from Israeli jails, crowds waving flags greeted them joyfully as they arrived on buses in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
US President Donald Trump landed in Israel minutes after the first hostages were reunited with their families, and in a speech to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, declared a “historic dawn in a new Middle East”.
He then flew on to a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to meet more than 20 leaders for talks on later phases of his Gaza peace plan.
At the summit Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the US signed a declaration as guarantors of the ceasefire deal which is aimed at ending two years of war that has left Gaza in ruins.
But amid the diplomatic celebrations and the joy of reunions between family members, many challenges still lie ahead if the ceasefire is to be built into a lasting peace.
The latter phases of Trump’s 20-point peace plan are fraught with sticking points, and intense negotiations will be needed in order to move forward.
