WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged lasting peace in the Middle East after signing a Gaza ceasefire agreement with the leaders of Qatar, Egypt, and Turkiye.

The deal includes a major captive and prisoner exchange, with Israel releasing nearly 2,000 detainees, 154 of whom were exiled to Egypt, while Hamas freed all 20 surviving Israeli captives and returned the bodies of four others.

Palestinians released from Israel’s Ofer Prison reported being beaten and humiliated, describing the facility as a “slaughterhouse.”

Israel’s war on Gaza has so far killed at least 67,869 people and injured 170,105 since October 2023, while 1,139 were killed in Israel during the October 7 attacks.