247 - US President Donald Trump and authorities from three other countries - Turkey, Egypt and Qatar - signed on Monday (13) the agreement to put an end to the war taking place in the Gaza Strip, where, according to the local Ministry of Health, more than 67,000 Palestinians have died as a result of Israeli attacks since October 2023. More than 20 world leaders will evaluate how to carry out the next stages of the 20-point peace plan.

The agreement is being signed in Egypt. The Islamist group Hamas, which occupies the Gaza Strip, released the last 20 Israeli hostages in the early hours of Monday (13), local time. In exchange, Israel is releasing around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Among them, 250 were serving life sentences.

Under the agreement, governance of Gaza is being transferred to a provisional transitional government, formed by qualified Palestinians and international experts. This process would be monitored by a"Peace Council," chaired by Trump.

"The skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace," Trump told the Knesset, Israel's parliament, asserting that a"long nightmare" for Israelis and Palestinians had ended.

"Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East," he declared ahead of his trip to Egypt for the summit.

Yet obstacles remain even to resolving the Gaza conflagration, let alone the broader generations-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict or other long-standing divisions plaguing the Middle East.

Relief for both sides

Beaming with relief and joy, two hostages waved to cheering crowds from vans on their way to an Israeli hospital, one of them waving a large Israeli flag and forming a heart with his hands.

Video footage captured emotional scenes of families receiving phone messages from their loved ones as they were released, their faces lighting up with hope after months of anguish.

"I'm so excited. I'm so full of happiness. It's hard to imagine how I'm feeling right now. I haven't slept all night," said Viki Cohen, mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, as she traveled to Reim, an Israeli military camp where the hostages were being transferred.

Most of the freed Palestinians were detained during the war, but the group included 250 prisoners convicted of involvement in deadly attacks or held on suspicion of security crimes.

Palestinians rushed to embrace prisoners freed by Israel. Thousands of people gathered in and around Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, some waving Palestinian flags, others holding photos of their relatives.

Holding back tears, a woman who asked to be identified as Um Ahmed said she had"mixed feelings" about the day.

"I am happy for our children who are being freed, but we are still grieving for all those who were killed by the occupation and all the destruction that happened in our Gaza," she told Reuters in a voice message.

Complaints against Israel

In December 2023, Israel began responding to a complaint filed by South Africa with the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The South African government called for urgent action against Israeli officials, accusing them of committing acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip.

According to South Africa, the military strikes and Israel's inaction constitute a violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Israel, for its part, maintains that it is merely protecting itself against terrorist attacks and refutes the accusations. Brazil has formally expressed support for South Africa's action.

In January 2024, the ICJ ordered Israel to take measures to prevent genocide, punish those who promote the destruction of the Palestinian people, and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, the court did not grant South Africa's request to suspend Israeli military operations. The case received support from several countries, including Brazil.

Later, in November 2024, the ICJ issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders on war crimes charges. Both Israel and Hamas rejected the charges (Reuters).