El País

Two associations denounce that prisoners released by Israel show “signs of torture”

Two associations supporting the rights of Palestinian prisoners have denounced that the almost 2,000 prisoners released by Israel “show clear signs of physical and psychological torture, particularly those in the Gaza Strip.” The Commission for the Affairs of Detainees and Ex-Detainees and the Prisoners’ Club have also stated that “cases of abuse up to the last moments of their release” have been documented.

According to the organizations, linked to the Palestinian National Authority, “the repression was not limited to the prisoners themselves, but extended to their families in the West Bank and Jerusalem, where they were subjected to organized campaigns of intimidation and threats to prevent them from organizing celebrations or appearing in the media.” These complaints have been added to those of Hamas, which has also indicated that the almost 2,000 released prisoners have suffered “the worst forms of psychological and physical torture”. (Efe)

Published at: 20:19 CEST 13/10/2025 and modified at 20:22 CEST 13/10/2025

El País

Guterres: “The people of Gaza and Israel see a fragile hope for calm after months of devastation”

UN Secretary General António Guterres celebrated on the social network X the ceasefire in Gaza that is allowing the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave."With the truce in place, the people of Gaza and Israel are beginning to glimpse a fragile hope for calm after months of devastation."

However, he noted the great hardships the population is suffering after months of blockade. Therefore, he issued a"call for the ceasefire to be consolidated and transformed into a lasting peace."

Published at: 20:01 CEST 13/10/2025

El País

What has happened in the last few hours

Here are the top stories of the day in the Middle East war at 8:00 p.m. this Monday, October 13:

Leaders of the US, Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt sign the Gaza peace plan. The signing took place during the international summit held in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el Sheikh, which was attended by some twenty international leaders.

The Israeli army now has the bodies of the four hostages returned by Hamas today. Israeli forces have urged the public to “exercise sensitivity and await official identification,” and have said this information will first be communicated to the families of the deceased hostages.

Trump, before the Israeli Parliament after the release of the hostages: “This is the beginning of the golden age of the Middle East.” The House applauded the US president as the architect of the plan for Gaza, who described the agreement with applause as “the moment when everything changed for the better” in the region.

The first freed Palestinians arrive in Khan Yunis. After the release of the twenty or so Israeli hostages still alive, Israel will release more than 2,000 Palestinians held in its prisons.

Published at: 20:00 CEST 10/13/2025 and modified at 20:09 CEST 10/13/2025 El País

The Israeli army already has four of the 28 bodies of hostages that Hamas plans to return.

The Israeli army now has in its possession the bodies of the four hostages that Hamas had promised to hand over this Monday, according to a statement issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Telegram.

The IDF has urged the public to"act with sensitivity and await official identification." They added that this information will first be communicated to the families of the deceased hostages. They explained that, before crossing into Israeli territory,"a military protocol will be held in their memory," in which the coffins will be covered with Israeli flags and troops will recite a chapter from the Book of Psalms.

There are still 24 other hostage bodies (one of them, Hadar Goldin, held by Hamas since 2014) that are expected to be returned under the peace agreement. (Efe)

Published at 19:23 CEST 13/10/2025 and modified at 19:55 CEST 13/10/2025

El País

Trump, after signing the peace agreement: “We have done things that were unthinkable. No one thought this was going to happen.”

US President Donald Trump has expressed his gratitude for the “hard work” carried out by the countries involved in the peace agreement in Gaza. “Over the past few months, we have done things that were unthinkable; no one thought this was going to happen,” he said of the pact. “The hostages have been returned, and the bodies will also be returned. We have achieved what many thought was impossible to achieve.” Trump assured that medical equipment and food will begin arriving in Gaza “paid for by the people in this room,” referring to the representatives of the countries present at the summit.

Published at: 19:07 CEST 13/10/2025

Egypt claims the right of Palestinians to"self-determination"

After signing the peace agreement in Gaza, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stated:"The Palestinians have the right to self-determination, and we must know that war will not undermine their freedom." He also stressed that Palestinians must "live with Israel in peace." "Peace is not only achieved by governors, but also by people, when they realize that yesterday's rivals can be tomorrow's allies," he added, sending a message to the Israeli population:"Let us seize this moment to mark the beginning of peaceful coexistence and lasting peace for all peoples."

Al-Sisi asserted that "Egypt will work hand in hand" in the coming days with the other mediating countries to lay the foundations for the reconstruction of the Strip."Peace cannot be complete until our hands are extended to save them from devastation," he asserted. The Egyptian president noted that this is a"historic opportunity" to build a prosperous Middle East and stated: "We want a region without terrorism" in which "the integration of all states" is present.

"I reiterate our support and aspiration for the implementation of this plan, which creates an essential political horizon for the implementation of the two-state solution, as this is the only way to fulfill the legitimate ambitions of the Palestinian and Israeli peoples," he stated.

Published at: 18:58 CEST 10/13/2025 and modified at 19:19 CEST 10/13/2025 El País

Hamas Eliminates 32 “Gang Members” in Gaza City Since Ceasefire Since the ceasefire went into effect, Hamas has eliminated 32 “gang members” in Gaza City, stepping into the power vacuum left by the departure of Israeli troops. They are members of a gang associated with a family based in the enclave’s capital. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted in June that his government was arming “clans” that opposed Hamas, but did not identify them. “What’s wrong with that? This saves the lives of Israeli soldiers,” Netanyahu said in a video. The militant group has the approval of US President Donald Trump for such actions, saying: “They want to end the problems, they have been open about that, and we gave them approval for a period of time.” Hamas is thus reasserting its hold on the enclave, at least until the international stabilization force, proposed by the Trump deal, begins to take control of Gaza. (Reuters) Published at: 18:34 CEST 10/13/2025 and modified at 18:39 CEST 10/13/2025 El País

US, Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt leaders sign Gaza peace plan

US President Donald Trump, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi have just signed the agreement to end more than two years of war in Gaza. The signing took place during an international summit held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, which was attended by around twenty international leaders.

Published at: 18:31 CEST 13/10/2025 and modified at 18:44 CEST 13/10/2025

El País

PHOTOGRAPH | Leaders gathered in Sharm el Sheikh for the signing of the peace agreement in Gaza

US President Donald Trump greeted the twenty leaders gathered in Sharm el Sheikh one by one to attend the signing of the agreement to end the war in Gaza, after more than two years of offensive. Afterwards, a family photo of those present was taken, with Trump and the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al Sisi, in the center.

Published at: 18:22 CEST 13/10/2025 and modified at 18:45 CEST 13/10/2025

El País

Egyptian President on Peace Agreement: “We want to consolidate and sustain the ceasefire in Gaza”

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, alongside his US counterpart Donald Trump, stated from the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh that both countries want to “consolidate and sustain the ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip. Al-Sisi received Trump along with around twenty world leaders, who came to witness the signing of the end of two years of war in the devastated Palestinian enclave.

During brief statements to the press alongside Trump, Al-Sisi thanked the American for his “ability” to “achieve the agreement on Gaza” and appreciated “his unprecedented achievement.”"You are the only one who can bring peace to the region," the Egyptian president said.

The first phase of this agreement, sponsored by the United States and negotiated over several days in Sharm el-Sheikh with mediating delegations from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, has been implemented since last week. This first phase included a ceasefire, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, the massive entry of humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave, and the exchange of hostages for prisoners, which began today.

The second phase, which has begun negotiations and which Trump declared today has already begun, will address the reconstruction of the enclave, as well as the disarmament of the Palestinian group Hamas and the governance of the Strip. (Efe) Published at: 18:09 CEST 13/10/2025 El País Hamas has already handed over two of the four bodies of hostages it plans to return this Monday to the Red Cross The Islamist group Hamas has handed over to the Red Cross in southern Gaza the first two bodies of Israeli hostages of the four it plans to return this Monday, the Israeli army announced in a statement. The identity of these victims has not yet been revealed."After this, the delivery of two more coffins of deceased hostages will take place. Hamas is required to comply with the agreement and take the necessary measures for the return of all deceased hostages," the military statement said. (Efe) Published at: 17:44 CEST 10/13/2025 El País

Trump and Netanyahu in the Knesset on Monday. / Evan Vucci / Reuters

Extension | Trump, before the Israeli Parliament after the release of the hostages:"It is the beginning of the golden age of the Middle East"

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has presented his plan for Gaza to the Israeli Parliament - which gave him more applause upon arrival than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - not as a baby who has just started walking, but as a consummate success that opens a"golden age" in the Middle East. In his hyperbolic and applauded speech, Trump has spoken of his plan - which made possible the release this morning of the last 20 Israeli hostages alive in Gaza - as"an incredible triumph for Israel and for the world" and a "brilliant moment that will be remembered as the moment when everything changed for the better."

Published at: 17:33 CEST 13/10/2025

El País

Trump thanks Egypt for its"important" role in Middle East peace. US President Donald Trump was welcomed by his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, upon his arrival in the country for the summit to seal peace between Israel and Hamas. Trump acknowledged that Egypt has done"a fantastic job and has played a very important role" throughout the process. Published at: 17:05 CEST 13/10/2025 and modified at 17:13 CEST 13/10/2025

Egyptian summit on Gaza peace deal begins

The Egyptian summit on the Gaza peace deal began shortly before 5:00 p.m. US President Donald Trump arrived in the Egyptian town of Sharm el Sheikh to participate in the meeting, which is attended by around 20 European leaders, but there are no representatives from Israel or Hamas.

Published at: 17:00 CEST 13/10/2025 and modified at 17:00 CEST 13/10/2025

The Red Cross is preparing to collect the bodies of four hostages in Gaza.

Following the release of the 20 live hostages, the return of the bodies of the dead hostages in Gaza is now beginning. It is already assumed that this return will be complicated and that the bodies of some of them may not even be found. According to Hamas, only the bodies of four hostages will be returned this Monday. They are Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Nepalese student Bipin Yoshi, and soldier Daniel Pérez. A convoy of Red Cross vehicles is now heading to a collection point in southern Gaza to collect the bodies, the Israeli military reported. The humanitarian organization will deliver the coffins to Israeli soldiers inside Gaza, where a small ceremony, led by a military rabbi, will be held in their memory. The coffins of the civilian hostages will be taken to the Abu Kabir forensic institute in central Israel for identification, while the bodies of soldiers will be taken to a military camp. Published at: 4:28 PM CEST 10/13/2025

Hostage families say Hamas will release only four bodies today

The Forum of Families of Hostages and Missing Persons has stated that it has been informed that only four of the 28 bodies of the deceased hostages will be returned to Israel today. The organization has described this information as a “flagrant breach” of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

Israeli authorities have not confirmed this information, which does not come as a surprise, since the release of the bodies was expected to be much more complicated than the release of the living, after two years of military offensive, which have involved extensive bombing and massive population displacement. Not all of the bodies were in the hands of Hamas, but some were in the hands of other Palestinian factions.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz joins this condemnation. The minister stated on social media that Hamas's announcement"is a breach of commitments" and that "any international delay or omission will be considered a serious violation of the agreement and will be responded to accordingly." (Efe) Published at: 15:32 CEST 13/10/2025 and modified at 16:26 CEST 13/10/2025

Albares: "The International Criminal Court's investigations continue, but today we are united in hope"

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, who is accompanying Pedro Sánchez at the peace summit in Sharm El Sheikh, has pointed out that Spain continues to think the same about the massacre in Gaza: that it was a"genocide", and, therefore, he trusts that the investigations against Benjamin Netanyahu will continue, but he also wanted to highlight the Government's joy at the peace agreement.

"The investigations are still ongoing, they will continue, but today here in Sharm El Sheikh we are all united in hope that a definitive peace is possible, that this time, and this is what Spain wants, it will be the last time we see this spiral of violence." Albares thanked the mediators, the US, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, for their work in achieving this peace."Today is a day of celebration," the minister concluded. Published at: 3:01 PM CEST 10/13/2025 El País

A Palestinian prisoner makes the victory gesture from the bus, in the city of Ramallah this Monday. / Associated Press/LaPresse / APN

The first freed Palestinians arrive in Khan Yunis

The first buses transporting Palestinians freed by Israel have arrived at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, south of the enclave. In a statement, the Hamas-controlled Gazan Ministry of Health reported that they are already providing medical care and examining the new arrivals.

After the release of the twenty or so Israeli hostages still alive, Israel will release more than 2,000 Palestinians detained in its prisons in response. At least 250 of them are serving long sentences.

Published at: 14:49 CEST 13/10/2025

El País

Gazati Health Ministry recovers 60 bodies

At least 60 bodies have been recovered from the rubble in the last 24 hours and transported to various hospitals in the enclave, according to figures from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health. They also reported that three deaths have been recorded in Gaza during the same period, but did not specify how they died. Thus, the total number of deaths rises to 67,869, and there are at least 170,105 people injured.

Published at: 14:26 CEST 13/10/2025 and modified at 14:32 CEST 13/10/2025

El País

Trump: “This long and difficult war is finally over”

In a speech before the Israeli Parliament, US President Donald Trump assured that the war in the region is over. “This long and difficult war is finally over,” he said. “The forces of chaos that have plagued the region are totally defeated,” the US president added. “I now go to meet with the richest and most powerful nations in the world (...) Led by the incredible people who have helped make all of this possible. I’m too late, they may not be there by the time I arrive,” Trump joked, referring to the ceremony awaiting his arrival in the Egyptian town of Sharm el-Sheikh for the signing of the peace plan for Gaza. “I want to congratulate you on having the courage to say that’s it, we’ve won. And now let’s enjoy our lives and rebuild Israel and make it stronger than ever,” he added."Israel will always be a vital ally of the United States," he said. Published at 1:47 PM CEST 10/13/2025 and modified at 2:02 PM CEST 10/13/2025

Trump keeps world leaders waiting in Sharm el Sheikh while he talks about his family While Donald Trump is in the Knesset giving a speech that includes many family references and even talks about the health of his daughter Ivanka's marriage to Jared Kushner, 20 of the world's most important leaders are waiting for him in Sharm el Sheikh, where their arrival will be considerably delayed by these long speeches by Netanyahu and Trump himself. Some of these leaders arrived several hours ago. The presidents or prime ministers of France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain are here, but also the leaders of almost all the major Arab countries. The official planes at the international airport of this resort on the Red Sea are a testament to the enormous drawing power of Trump and Al-Sisi, the Egyptian president. But the US leader has had no problem keeping them all waiting while he lengthens his speech in the Knesset with jokes, family references and a display of his fondness for self-referential mentions. Published at: 13:34 CEST 13/10/2025 and modified at 13:35 CEST 13/10/2025

El País

Trump interrupted by two MPs during his speech

MPs Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif briefly interrupted Donald Trump's speech in the Israeli Parliament before being swiftly removed by the House's security services, whose"efficiency" Trump praised. The latter, a communist, was carrying a banner reading"genocide." Odeh is a MP of Palestinian origin. Other MPs have called them “terrorists” when they were expelled,

Published at: 1:28 PM CEST 10/13/2025 and modified at 1:29 PM CEST 10/13/2025

El País

Trump: “This is going to be the golden age of Israel and the Middle East”

In a speech before the Israeli Parliament, US President Donald Trump assured that the peace agreement represents the beginning of “the golden age of Israel and the Middle East.” Trump thanked the role of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “He is not the easiest person to reach agreements with. But that is what makes him great. Thank you, Bibi. Great job.” At one point, Trump was interrupted by a man who entered the chamber protesting with a sign and was quickly removed by House security. Published at: 1:20 PM CEST 10/13/2025 Spain faces peace agreement with"hope" Pedro Sánchez has already arrived at the Sharm El Sheikh summit. The Spanish government faces this peace agreement"with hope," according to government sources."Aware of the challenges that the implementation of the Peace Plan entails, but with a strong desire to move towards a definitive peace," they say."The release of the hostages and prisoners is great news. We also welcome the arrival of humanitarian aid, and the priority now is for it to arrive urgently and massively," they conclude. Published at: 1:14 PM CEST 10/13/2025 El País

Palestinian prisoners are welcomed by their families in Ramallah after being released from Israeli jails. / Mahmoud Illean / AP

Emotion at the return of the released Palestinian prisoners

Hundreds of family members and friends are welcoming the Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails, with scenes of great emotion among them when they hug their loved ones again after, in some cases, long years in prison. This is the case of the 88 prisoners released by Israel who have arrived in Ramallah, part of the 250 who were serving life sentences in Israel.

Published at: 13:13 CEST 13/10/2025

El País

Sánchez is already in Egypt to participate in the Sharm el Sheikh summit

The president of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, is already in the Egyptian city of Sharm el Sheikh to participate in the signing ceremony of the peace plan for Gaza, which is attended by around thirty European and Arab leaders and the president of the United States, Donald Trump.

The Spanish Air Force plane in which Sánchez traveled with the rest of his delegation, which includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, landed around midday at the airport of Sharm el Sheikh, the southern resort city of the country that is hosting this summit.

The presence of Sánchez responds, according to sources from the Spanish Government, to an invitation from the organizers of the summit, the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah al Sisi, and the United States president, Donald Trump.

Sánchez plans to convey Spain's full commitment to the implementation of the peace plan and will continue to defend the two-state solution as the only possible way to resolve the crisis in the Middle East.

The ceremony will allow for a greeting between the head of the Spanish government and Trump four days after the US president proposed Spain's withdrawal from NATO due to what he considers a lack of commitment to the Alliance's defense spending. (EFE)

Published at: 12:51 CEST 13/10/2025 and modified at 12:51 CEST 13/10/2025