(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that “phase two” of the Gaza truce framework has officially begun, following the release of 20 Israeli captives in the first stage of the agreement mediated by the United States, Türkiye, Qatar, and Egypt, according to reports.

"All twenty hostages are back and feeling as good as can be expected," Trump stated on his social media platform, Truth Social.

"A big burden has been lifted, but the job is not done. The dead have not been returned, as promised! Phase Two begins right now!!!" he added.

The initial phase of the accord included an exchange in which Hamas freed 20 Israeli hostages, while Israel released hundreds of Palestinian detainees from its Ofer military facility and several prisons in the Negev Desert.

Reports indicate that Trump met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during a high-level summit in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, where international leaders gathered to discuss backing for Washington’s broader Gaza peace roadmap.

The second phase of the plan reportedly envisions forming a new administrative structure for Gaza, deploying a multinational stabilization force, and disarming Hamas.

According to humanitarian assessments, Israeli military actions since October 2023 have claimed the lives of over 67,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children—leaving much of Gaza devastated and largely unlivable.

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