France to be 'involved in every stage' of US President Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan, Macron says

By Ilayda Cakirtekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - French President Emmanuel Macron vowed on Monday that they will be involved in every stage of the Gaza ceasefire plan.

"France will be involved in every stage of (US) President (Donald) Trump’s (Gaza ceasefire) plan, alongside the Arab partners it helped mobilize," Macron said through the US social media company X.

He also noted that with the release of hostages, "peace becomes possible for Israel, for Gaza, and for the region."

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced on Monday morning the start of the process of releasing Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip under the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.

The Israeli army confirmed on X that seven hostages had been released and were being escorted to Israel by the army and Shin Bet security agency forces.

According to Israeli Channel 12, seven hostages were handed over to ICRC teams.

Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of his 20-point plan aimed at implementing a ceasefire in Gaza. The plan includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. The first phase took effect on Friday.

Phase two of the plan envisions the creation of a new governing body in Gaza, excluding Hamas, the deployment of a multinational force, and the disarmament of Hamas.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 67,800 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, leaving the enclave largely uninhabitable.