People react as they watch a live broadcast of Israeli hostages released from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, at a plaza known as hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

It has been a day of joy and celebration in Israel, as the last 20 surviving hostages were finally released after more than two years in captivity in Gaza.

Palestinian prisoners held in Israel are also being freed as part of Donald Trump’s historic peace plan for the war-torn region.

Addressing the Israeli Knesset, the US president said: “You’ve won. 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.”

Trump had earlier told reporters travelling with him on board Air Force One that “the war is over”.

However, a permanent peace remains a remote prospect and months – possibly years – of painstaking negotiations lie ahead.

Here is what we expect to happen next.

The bodies of the last dead hostages must be handed over

Trump’s peace plan made clear that the bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages in Gaza had to be handed over by Hamas.

The militant group announced on Monday that they had initially only handed over four deceased – Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi and Daniel Peretz.

Hamas officials have told mediators that they do not know where the remains of some of the other 24 dead hostages are.

This is potentially a major sticking point as failure to hand over all of the........

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