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In today's issue:

▪ Hostages released as Trump addresses Knesset

▪ Mass shutdown layoffs begin

▪ Virginia Dems back up Spanberger

▪ New Orleans picks new leader

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All 20 living hostages still held by Hamas have officially been released after more than two years of captivity, a monumental step in the push to bring an end to the war in Gaza.

It came as President Trump traveled to the Middle East and was set to address the Israeli Knesset. He signed the guestbook ahead of his speech while meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.

"This is my great honor — a great and beautiful day. A new beginning," Trump wrote in large marker in the book.

The president left the U.S. late Sunday afternoon and arrived in Israel Monday morning. He was greeted by Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog on the runway.

Video showed Trump meeting with and hearing from the families of the hostages ahead of his Knesset address.

Parlimentary staff reportedly handed out red caps with the phrase "Trump the peace president" ahead of the speech.

After leaving Israel, Trump is set to travel to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for a peace summit featuring a wide range of European and Arab leaders and foreign ministers, including from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he will chair the summit with Trump.

The Israeli government and Hamas, the militant group that has controlled Gaza since 2007, agreed to the first phase of Trump’s peace plan last week, setting up the hostage release.

The Israeli military has withdrawn from most of Gaza as part of the first step of implementing the plan. The first phase also included the freeing of the hostages who were taken captive during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that launched the conflict and the release of about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

Hamas is also set to return the bodies of 26 deceased hostages for burial. Aid, including food, water, medicine and other supplies, has started to flow into Gaza in significant quantities as part of the agreement’s first phase, addressing widespread starvation that has dominated the territory for months.

Trump’s 20-point plan calls for much broader steps to set a path forward for Gaza, including Hamas agreeing to disarm and to have no role in a new government to rule the area. A “board of peace,” chaired by Trump, would temporarily oversee the day-to-day operations of Gaza in transition until the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, has made reforms and can take control.

But Hamas hasn’t fully agreed to disarm and step aside, while Netanyahu has affirmed that he won’t allow for the establishment of a full Palestinian state, leaving uncertainty about the next steps of implementing Trump’s proposal.

Still, the ceasefire and hostage release agreement seems to be the best chance yet at bringing an end to the war after more than two years of fighting. Two previous ceasefires, one soon after the start of the war in November 2023 and another during the first few months of 2025, both ended in renewed fighting.

At the same time, the peace agreement has given Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky optimism that Trump will be able to also help end the war with Russia, which has lasted more than three and a half years. Trump indicated openness on Sunday to sending Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if the Kremlin doesn’t end the war soon.

The peace agreement has also cast a fresh spotlight on Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law who served as a senior White House adviser during his first term but has stepped back during the second term. Kushner has been a key player in negotiations for the deal alongside Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East.

The Hill’s Laura Kelly and Brett Samuels report that Kushner hasn’t had a formal role in the second Trump administration, but Witkoff has kept him in the loop about Middle East efforts and Kushner’s involvement increased as a deal got closer. Kushner was a key negotiator in the 2020 Abraham Accords, which resulted in several Arab countries recognizing and normalizing relations with Israel.

“I put Jared there because he’s a very smart person and he knows the region, knows the people, knows a lot of the players,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Thursday.

Trump administration officials on Monday hailed the release of hostages as the peace plan progresses.

Witkoff said in a statement posted on the social platform X that he didn't think he would see the day when the hostages were released. He credited Trump with securing the deal, saying it wouldn't have been possible without him.

"It’s deeply gratifying to know that so many families will finally have their loved ones home. Today, twenty families are spared the unbearable pain of not knowing if they will ever see their loved ones again," Witkoff said. "But even in this moment of relief and happiness, my heart aches for those whose loved ones will not return alive. Bringing their bodies home is a must and an act of dignity and honors their memory forever."

▪ The Hill: Biden national security adviser says Trump should get credit on Gaza deal.

▪ The New York Times: Qatari prime minister says Israel, Hamas weren’t ready for comprehensive deal.

3 Things to Know Today

1. Trump has chosen longtime aide Dan Scavino as the new head of the White House Presidential Personnel Office. Scavino will replace Sergio Gor, whom Trump nominated as ambassador to India.

2. Knives are coming out for California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter after multiple videos of her have yielded considerable backlash. In one video, she tried to end an interview while voicing frustration over the reporter’s follow-up questions, while in another she berates a staffer for entering her live shot while recording a video.

3. Columbus Day is on Monday in honor of the 15th century Italian explorer, suspending mail delivery in observance of the federal holiday. In proclaiming Columbus Day, Trump broke with former President Biden, who became the first U.S. president to declare Indigenous Peoples Day alongside the holiday for Columbus.

Leading the Day