World leaders in Middle East to sign peace plan, 20 Israeli hostages released from Gaza

ruff to call Israel's parliament as islamic resistance movement releases living hostages

Can Trump's Israel-Hamas peace plan last beyond 'first phase'?

'We're thrilled, the whole country is thrilled': father and husband of freed hostages

Rosemary Barton speaks with a Palestinian Canadian about his hopes for the ceasefire

Contrary to earlier reports that Netanyahu would be joining Trump at the summit, the Israeli prime minister’s office says he won’t be attending, according to the latest media reports.

The White House had initially said Netanyahu, along with more than two dozen other leaders, would be joining Trump in Egypt.

An Egyptian presidential spokesperson also had said plans were finalized for both leaders to attend, during a phone call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, while Trump was at the Knesset.

Of all the deprivations in Gaza over the last year, one was critical — cooking gas. It has now re-entered Gaza as part of a coming surge of humanitarian supplies rolling into the enclave.

Up to now, families have been cooking over open fire.

Humanitarian agencies report significant improvement in the number of trucks and scope of supplies entering Gaza, but caution that supply still needs to be scaled up over the next few days, as per the conditions of the peace plan.

People in Gaza are hopeful the ceasefire will last but worry the violence will not stop.

Over the weekend, according to reports, Hamas fighters have been clashing with clans and rooting out collaborators with Israel, raising the prospect of internal fights in Gaza. The road to reconstruction has not yet begun, as some of those details are expected to be hammered out at the peace summit in Egypt today.

Trump’s writing in the Knesset guest book, that it’s "a new beginning," is a sentiment being echoed across Israel, executing that will be even harder

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Sunday that "today brought some real progress" in Gaza.

In a "note to correspondents," the office said that for the first time since March, cooking gas had been allowed to enter the territory. It said it was also able to deliver tents, frozen meat, fresh fruit, flour and medicine.

"With the easing of movement and access restrictions in multiple areas, we were able to pre-position medical and emergency supplies to where they are needed most, assess key roads for explosive hazards, and support displaced families in flood-prone areas [to] prepare for the winter season," the office wrote.

"We also secured Israeli approval for more aid to move forward, bringing the amount in our cleared pipeline to 190,000 metric tons."

Trump and Netanyahu have appeared at the Knesset. They are receiving a standing ovation.

Just before Trump arrived at Israel's Knesset, parliamentary staff handed out red MAGA-style hats reading, “Trump the peace president.”

His speech to lawmakers was carefully co-ordinated to take place after the hostages would be released, giving him a chance to bask in the moment.

In Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, U.S. Flags have been affixed to buildings and light poles.

A few billboards compare Trump to Cyrus the Great, who according to the Bible is credited with liberating Jewish people from Babylonia.

“I'm not a big fan of Donald Trump, but I do give him credit for today and for making it happen,” said Carey Fried, who was wrapped in a U.S. Flag.

“I think he's taking an early victory lap. We're not there yet. No Israelis are fooling themselves. We don't believe the war is over.”

Trump, who is adamant that this is the end of the war, signed the Knesset guest book, writing, "This is my great honor. A great and beautiful day — a new beginning."

Netanyahu will attend Monday's summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, an Egyptian presidential spokesperson told Reuters.

"Both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will take part in the peace summit to solidify the agreement to end the war in Gaza and reaffirm their commitment to it," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said Trump and Netanyahu held a phone call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi while they were in Israel on Monday.

As my colleague on Parliament Hill, Benjamin Lopez Steven, reported yesterday, the prime minister’s trip to Egypt today will be his first trip to the Middle East since announcing last month that Canada officially recognizes a Palestinian state.

That decision, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement at the time, was meant to preserve the prospect of a two-state solution. The PMO expressed concern that Hamas and Israeli actions were eroding the possibility of a negotiated settlement.

The PMO added that Canada offers its partnership in "building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel."

Carney first announced Canada’s move in July, saying recognition was conditional on the Palestinian authority, which controls parts of the West Bank, making certain commitments.

Those commitments include governance reforms, general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part and the demilitarization of the Palestinian state.

The PMO said last month that "Canada will intensify efforts to support the Palestinian Authority's implementation of this reform agenda, on which progress has already been made."

Sharm el-Sheikh is where negotiations for this latest — and most promising — ceasefire were previously held between Israel and Hamas. Also acting as mediators in the talks were several Middle Eastern countries, including Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. The leaders of those countries and at least two dozen are convening in Egypt today.

Sharm el-Sheikh is a city on the southeastern coast of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt — not too far from Israel and Gaza — and is known for its Red Sea resorts.

Trump administration officials told the Times of Israel that the goal of the meeting to "to solidify the backing from guarantors of the deal — 'not the parties.'" The newspaper was quoting a Trump administration official.

The president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, will be among those in attendance, according to the Times.

Trump tells media on Air Force One on Sunday night that the war between Israel and Hamas is finished, in spite of Netanyahu’s caution Sunday that it is not over. But as if by repeating it, with emphasis, Trump hopes he can force it to be true.

“I did this not for Nobel [the Peace Prize]; I did this for saving lives,” Trump said en route to Israel, promising a “board of peace” will be in place “very shortly.”

But critical details of his 20-point peace plan are yet to be agreed on, particularly whether and how Hamas will disarm, a timeline for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and who will make up an international stabilization force.

More than 20 world leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, are gathering in Sharm el- Sheik, Egypt, to witness the peace plan signing, but also to hammer out how reconstruction would begin in Gaza.

A momentous day today will be followed by difficult negotiations on a still-fragile peace.

Hi, I’m Sara Jabakhanji, a senior writer based in Toronto.

Trump arrived in Israel early on Monday and was whisked off to the Knesset, where he signed the guest book and is scheduled to speak to Israeli lawmakers.

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