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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heaped praise on US President Donald Trump, and said his "pivotal leadership" was crucial in securing the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Addressing the Israeli Knesset following the release of all living Israeli captives by Hamas, Netanyahu said: "On this day filled with emotion, which will be carved in the history of our people, your name [Trump] will be carved in the legacy of our nation."
"It has already been carved in the history of humanity."
Netanyahu repeatedly lavished praise on Trump, and said that his "pivotal leadership" got the "backing of almost the entire world".
He also said that the Gaza ceasefire plan "brings all our hostages home, [is] a proposal that ends the war by achieving all our objectives, [and] a proposal that opens the war to a historic expansion of peace in our region and beyond our region".
"Mr President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace, and together, Mr President, we will achieve this peace."
Dozens of world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, will descend on the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday to discuss the US president's proposal to end Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
The Egyptian presidency said in a statement that the summit will seek "to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability".
Egypt's foreign ministry said that during the "historic" gathering, a "document ending the war in the Gaza Strip" is set to be signed.
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto are all scheduled to attend the summit, while Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement that he had been invited.
However, neither Israel nor Hamas will have representatives at the talks.
Several Israeli and international news sites reported early on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also expected to attend the meeting, but his office later denied the reports.
It was unclear how Netanyahu would have been received by several of the heads of state, as their countries do not officially recognise Israel.
Monday's summit comes days after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire agreement to "end the war" on Gaza and exchange prisoners.
Read more: World leaders to descend on Egypt to discuss Trump's plan to 'end' Gaza war
The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Monday that 63 Palestinians have been confirmed dead over the past 24 hours in Gaza.
The number included 60 people whose bodies were recovered from under the rubble of destroyed buildings and in the streets, the ministry said, adding that ambulance and civil defence crews continue to face difficulties reaching them.
Since 7 October 2023, Israeli attacks across Gaza have killed 67,869 people and wounded 170,105, the ministry added.
Hundreds gathered outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Monday, awaiting the arrival of some 1,700 Palestinians who were arrested and detained by Israeli forces over the past two years.
Their release comes as Hamas and Israel agreed to the first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire deal that sees the release of all Israeli captives from Gaza in exchange for the liberation of nearly 2,000 Palestinians from Israeli prisons.
Hamas on Monday began releasing living Israeli captives as buses carrying Palestinian prisoners started leaving the Israeli prison of Ofer, located in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli prime minister’s office on Monday said that Netanyahu will not attend the summit in Egypt due to the "proximity of the event to the start of the holiday".
“Prime Minister Netanyahu was invited by US President Trump to participate in a conference taking place today in Egypt,” a statement by his office on X said.
“The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for his invitation but stated that he would not be able to attend due to the proximity of the event to the start of the holiday.”
Earlier, the Egyptian presidency had announced that Netanyahu would participate in the Sharm el-Sheikh summit regarding the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Buses of Palestinian prisoners arrived in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Monday. Crowds cheered and chanted slogans as the prisoners got off buses that had transported them from Ofer Prison.
Television footage earlier showed two buses carrying Palestinian prisoners leaving the prison.
Israeli authorities are set to release 1,966 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving long or life sentences, and approximately 1,700 individuals who were detained from the Gaza Strip over the past two years.
On Monday, Hamas freed 20 Israeli captives as part of a deal to end the war in Gaza and facilitate a prisoner exchange.
The Egyptian presidency on Monday announced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will participate in the Sharm el-Sheikh summit regarding the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Egyptian media reported that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call from US President Donald Trump while he was in Israel with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During the call, Netanyahu spoke with President Sisi, and it was agreed that he would attend the summit, the report said.
The report added that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will also attend the summit.
Israeli forces on Monday fired rubber bullets and tear gas at Palestinians who had gathered at the Ofer Prison for the prisoner release, news agency AP reported.
An Israeli armoured vehicle, flying an Israeli flag, approached the hill overlooking the prison as drones hovered overhead, fired at the crowd.
Israel is set to release close to 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of the US-brokered ceasefire deal.
The incident followed the circulation of a warning that anyone showing support for the prisoners could face arrest
Television footage on Monday showed two buses believed to be carrying Palestinian prisoners and Red Cross vehicles leaving Ofer prison, Al Jazeera reported.
Israeli authorities are set to release 1,966 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving long or life sentences, and approximately 1,700 individuals who were detained from the Gaza Strip over the past two years.
Hamas on Monday freed 20 Israeli captives as part of a deal to end the war in Gaza and facilitate a prisoner exchange.
US President Donald Trump has insisted that Israel's war on Gaza has ended, despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting that the military campaign on the Palestinian enclave will continue.
Late on Sunday, Netanyahu released a statement marking the prisoner exchange taking place on Monday between Israel and Hamas, which he called a "historic event".
"Wherever we fought, we won," he said. "But I must tell you at the same time, the campaign is not over. We still have major security challenges ahead of us."
Netanyahu made further claims that "some of our enemies are trying to regroup and attack us again", insisting that Israel will take on these challenges.
Similarly, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz posted on X on Sunday: "Israel's great challenge after the phase of returning the hostages will be the destruction of all of Hamas's terror tunnels in Gaza, directly by the IDF and through the international mechanism to be established under the leadership and supervision of the United States."
Read more: Trump says 'war is over' after Netanyahu claims 'campaign not over'
The sister of a Palestinian prisoner who has spent 25 years in Israeli detention is anxiously awaiting his release in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.
Ibtisam Kamel Emri told Middle East Eye that she has been waiting for the release of her younger brother for the past two days.
“He’s my little brother - like my son, my love, and the light of my eyes. Only God knows how much we’ve suffered being apart from him. Only God knows how much we’ve hoped he’d be freed,” said the 50-year-old.
She said the family had been informed that her brother would be among the nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees set to be released under the latest ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal.
However, she added that they were warned against holding any public celebrations - a condition reportedly imposed on many families in the occupied territories.
“We said that’s fine. We just want our brother back. Our joy is in our hearts - we don’t need to show it off.”
Fighting back tears, Emri said the family still does not know when or where he will be released.
“We’re just waiting for God’s mercy… This has been one of the most difficult hours of my life.
"The whole world has changed [while he was imprisoned], his mother died, his father died. His siblings grew up, his children got married, all the while he's in prison."
Reporting by Mosab Shawer in Ramallah, occupied Palestine
Israeli forces on Monday fired tear gas shells at journalists around Ofer Prison who arrived at the location to cover the proceedings of the prisoner swap as part of the ceasefire deal, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.
The Palestinian Prisoners' Information Office announced that buses carrying released prisoners from Ofer Prison were heading to Beitunia in Ramallah.
Israel's Channel 12 on Monday reported that 13 Israeli prisoners were released in the second batch and handed over to the International Red Cross in Gaza.
Earlier today, the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, handed over seven Israeli captives to the International Red Cross.
Israeli authorities are also set to release 1,966 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving long or life sentences, and approximately 1,700 individuals who were detained from the Gaza Strip over the past two years.
Israel's Channel 12 on Monday reported that 13 Israeli prisoners were released in the second batch and handed over to the International Red Cross in Gaza.
Hamas on Monday began releasing living Israeli captives as part of a deal to end the war in Gaza and facilitate a prisoner exchange.
Earlier today, the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, handed over seven Israeli captives to the International Red Cross.
A top European Union official on Monday said the bloc will restart a civilian mission to monitor the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Wednesday, news agency AFP reported.
"The EU stands ready to do its part," Kaja Kallas, posted on X after Hamas released a first group of Israeli captives as part of the US-brokered agreement.
"This mission can play an important role in supporting the ceasefire," she said.
China on Monday said it welcomed the release of captives by Hamas as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal, news agency AFP reported.
Foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said China hailed the developments while calling for stability in the region.
Hamas began releasing living Israeli captives on Monday as part of a deal to end the war in Gaza and facilitate a prisoner exchange.
Hamas's al-Qassam Brigades handed over seven Israeli captives to the International Red Cross in Gaza. Israeli media confirmed that the military has received the seven captives.
A further 13 captives are expected to be released within the next few hours.
Israeli authorities are also set to release 1,966 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving long or life sentences, and approximately 1,700 individuals who were detained from the Gaza Strip over the past two years.
