Carney Says Release of Israeli Hostages Must Be ‘Turning Point’ for Peace

Prime Minister Mark Carney travelled to Egypt to attend a summit marking the end of the war in Gaza, saying the release of the Israeli hostages must lead to lasting peace.

“The release of hostages is a moment of profound relief,” Carney said in a statement from the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh on Oct. 13. “After over two years of suffering, today families are finally reunited.”

Earlier that day, 20 living Israeli hostages held by Palestinian terrorist group Hamas were transferred back to Israel as part of a peace agreement brought forward by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The hostages had been held in captivity for over two years, since Hamas conducted raids inside Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, kidnapping 251 and killing about 1,200. Among those killed were eight Canadians: Vivian Silver, Netta Epstein, Alexandre Look, Judith Weinstein, Shir Georgy, Ben Mizrachi, and Adi Vital-Kaploun.

“We remember all those who were brutally murdered in Hamas’ heinous terrorist attacks,”Carney said. “May their memories be a blessing.”

The peace agreement also includes the return of deceased Israeli hostages. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum said only four of the 28 bodies of deceased hostages would be returned on Oct. 13.

In exchange for returning the hostages, Israel is releasing a total of 1,968 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 who were serving life sentences.

The release of captives was part of the first phase of the peace plan and led to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip between the Israel military and Hamas.

“The release of hostages must be a turning point toward lasting peace,” Carney said, adding a call for parties to continue implementing the terms of the ceasefire deal. This includes an Israeli military withdrawal and the “sustained, large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid” in the embattled enclave.

The peace agreement was presented by Trump as a 20-point plan two weeks ago, on Sept. 29, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting the White House.

Some of the plan’s provisions have not been explicitly agreed to by Hamas, including its disarmament and permission for an international stabilization force to take over security in the Gaza Strip. The group has, however, agreed to hand over power to a “Palestinian body of independents (technocrats), based on Palestinian national consensus and supported by Arab and Islamic backing,” according to Hamas’s Oct. 3 response to Trump’s peace plan.

Carney said in his statement that “Canada commends President Trump’s essential leadership in advancing a comprehensive peace plan.” He also thanked Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey for playing a key role in reaching the deal.

Carney had met Trump at the White House on Oct. 7 and told the president that his “transformative” role in bringing peace to the conflict is what is the “most important” for Canada.

Trump visited Israel on Oct. 13 before making a trip to Egypt. “The skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace,” Trump said during his address before the Israeli Parliament.

“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,” he added, saying a “long nightmare” for Israelis and Palestinians is now over.

The summit in Egypt will be chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Netanyahu will not be attending, while Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will be present.

Some of the leaders attending include Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Jordanian King Abudallah II, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Reuters contributed to this report.