All 20 living Israeli hostages have been freed by Hamas – with Donald Trump greeted by enormous applause at the Israeli parliament to mark the moment. Later, Trump will join world leaders in Egypt for a peace deal “signing ceremony”. Watch and follow live below.
Monday 13 October 2025 11:21, UK
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The prime minister’s office says the Israeli prime minister will not go to Egypt to attend the Gaza peace summit and celebrations of the peace deal this afternoon.
This runs counter to the Egyptian presidency’s announcement about an hour ago (see our post at 10.17) that Netanyahu would join the US president in attending.
As Donald Trump walks into the Knesset Plenum, he’s given a long standing ovation by those in attendance lasting more than two minutes.
Each member of the Trump administration watching on in the Knesset has their name read aloud to applause.
The US president, who has been introduced as “the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House”, is sitting at the front of the Knesset alongside the speaker and Israel’s President Isaac Herzog.
Watch below: The standing ovation welcome for Trump in full
Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are to speak imminently at the Knesset – Israel’s parliament.
Until today, three US presidents have addressed the Knesset Plenum: Jimmy Carter (in 1979); Bill Clinton (in 1994); and George W Bush (in 2008)
You can watch along in the live stream at the top of this page.
We’ll also be bringing you live text updates here.
Omri Miran, one of the first seven Israeli hostages released by Hamas today, has been reunited with his family.
Pictures show Miran embracing his wife Lishay Miran-Lavi, with the pair wearing matching white T-shirts, and his father Dani in Re’im after being transported from Gaza this morning.
It comes after his family described Miran’s release as “a victory of an entire people” in a statement shared a short while ago (see 9.30 post).
Another released hostage, Eitan Abraham Mor, has been pictured as he returned to Israel – see below.
We’ve already seen the reunion of two twin brothers in Israeli-controlled Gaza – Gali and Ziv Berman. Both 28-year-olds had been held by Hamas, and not seen each other during their captivity.
Watch the moment of their reunion below:
Donald Trump is expected to use his speech in the Knesset to say “this is the historic dawn of a new Middle East”.
He will say it is an incredible triumph for Israel and the world, and will tell those in attendance that “America joins you in two everlasting vows – never forget, and never again”.
Trump is expected to say Israel has won all that can be won by force of arms, and will add that it is time to translate the victories against “terrorists on the battlefield” into “the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity” for the entire Middle East.
“From Gaza to Iran, those bitter hatreds have delivered nothing but misery, suffering and failure,” he will say, adding that the focus of Gazans must be “restoring the fundamentals of stability, safety, dignity and economic development”.
Trump was given a red carpet welcome as he arrived in Israel on Air Force One earlier this morning.
The US president is meeting Israel’s President Isaac Herzog and the country’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit, before he heads off to Egypt later.
Trump will join world leaders for a peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh and an official signing ceremony of the first phase of his Gaza plan.
Hamas has confirmed that the first of 38 buses carrying Palestinian prisoners from Israel has arrived in Gaza.
As we’ve been reporting, Israel is releasing 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and more than 1,700 detained since the October 7 attacks now that it has confirmed all 20 living hostages have been released by Hamas.
An official involved in the operation told Reuters that the 1,700+ detainees will be released at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital (see 7.00 post).
Meanwhile, the 250 Palestinians serving life sentences are expected to be released to the West Bank, Jerusalem and abroad.
It comes as Israel’s military has confirmed that the group of 13 hostages have now crossed the border into Israel after being handed over by the Red Cross.
Watch below: Who are the prisoners being released by Israel?
By Mark Stone, US correspondent, in Sharm el-Sheikh
The Egyptian government has been working around the clock to try to set up this summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. They have had literally a couple of days to organise it.
On the face of it, it is being hosted by the Egyptian president, but it’s only happening because the American president asked for it to happen.
“We are overwhelmed,” one Egyptian official said to me as he apologised for not getting in touch earlier.
I’m currently watching boxes of plants being carried into the convention centre here.
The flags of the nations attending are sitting in a corner of the press room, waiting to be positioned in the main signing ceremony hall.
In another corner, officials are covering up the posters from the last convention held in this centre – and banners with the hastily designed logo for this peace summit are being unveiled.
As recently as yesterday, countries were still confirming who would be attending on their behalf.
And now we’ve had the news Benjamin Netanyahu will attend, too (see previous post).
Benjamin Netanyahu is currently hosting Donald Trump in his office in the Knesset, with both expected to speak at Israel’s parliament this morning.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Egypt’s presidency has confirmed that Netanyahu will be heading to the Gaza peace summit in Egypt (see our previous post for more on that – when it wasn’t yet fully confirmed).
It’s unclear whether he will join Trump on Air Force One or travel separately.
The US president has been hailing his Gaza peace deal for ending the war – declaring on his way to Israel that the war is “over”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering joining Donald Trump at the Gaza peace summit in Egypt later today, according to an Israeli official.
As we’ve been reporting, the US president will head to Sharm el-Sheikh after leaving Israel and will take part in a signing ceremony for the first phase of his Gaza peace plan.
World leaders including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will attend, and it appears Netanyahu is now considering joining them.
Meanwhile, an Israeli source has told The Times of Israel that there are attempts by Trump’s team to arrange a visit to one of the hospitals that will receive the hostages before he heads to Egypt.
The source said that, should it happen, the most likely destination will be the Sheba Medical Centre which will treat 10 of the 20 living hostages freed by Hamas.
By Lisa Holland, communities correspondent
It always haunted the Cohen family that their son Nimrod would be the very last hostage to be freed by Hamas – because he was a soldier on duty when dragged from his tank on October 7 2023.
His IDF status could have made him the most lucrative bargaining chip in ceasefire talks – and therefore someone the terror organisation refused to hand over.
How incredible for Nimrod’s devoted family that in the end their fears that a breakthrough would mean a phased return of the final 20 living hostages weren’t realised.
That they have been spared the pain of him being left to the end.
When I met with Nimrod’s parents in Israel in the summer, his father Yehuda told me: “A partial deal means that the probability my son will be on that list [to be released] is close to zero.
“So he’s going to be one of the last ones to be released, and that’s why we have to fight.”
Back in July, as a rollercoaster of tantalising ups and downs in ceasefire talks played out, Nimrod’s mother Viki told me: “I still have hope.”
Nimrod’s bedroom had remained untouched since the day he left to return to active duties in the IDF. His 21st birthday came and went without the rite of passage celebrations due to any young person of that age.
He was 19 when he was kidnapped by Hamas.
Now the rebuilding of his life can finally begin.
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