(MENAFN) On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that much-needed humanitarian support had started to reach the war-torn Gaza Strip, following a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.

The president made the remarks during a summit with international leaders held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

"Humanitarian aid is now pouring in, including hundreds of truckloads of food, medical equipment and other supplies, much of it paid for by people in this room. Civilians are returning to their homes. The hostages are reuniting," Trump stated, noting that relief efforts were well underway.

He described the moment as the beginning of a new era for the region.

"A new and beautiful day is rising, and now the rebuilding begins. Rebuilding is maybe going to be the easiest part. I think we've done a lot of the hardest part, because the rest comes together. We all know how to rebuild, and we know how to build better than anybody in the world," he said, expressing confidence in the road ahead.

Trump expressed his "tremendous gratitude to the Arab and Muslim nations who helped make this incredible breakthrough possible," highlighting the critical role they played in the negotiation process.

He also emphasized that restoring Gaza would require more than infrastructure—security reforms were essential.

He stressed that any reconstruction effort must include demilitarization and the creation of a trustworthy local police force.

“We’re also agreed that Gaza's reconstruction requires that it be demilitarized and that a new honest civilian police force [be created] to create a safe condition for the people in Gaza,” Trump noted.

Earlier in the day, a major prisoner exchange took place between Hamas and Israel. As part of the deal, hundreds of Palestinian detainees were freed from Israel’s well-known Ofer military detention center and various correctional facilities in the Negev Desert.

In return, all 20 living Israeli hostages were released from Hamas captivity.

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