The first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza and establish peace in the Middle East began on Monday with the exchange of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli detainees.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed it had received the first group of seven Israeli detainees from Gaza and handed them over to Israeli authorities. The remaining 13 detainees are expected to be transferred later in the day, the organization said.

Under the initial stage of the plan, all 20 surviving Israeli detainees held in Gaza are to be released, along with the gradual handover of 28 bodies as recovery efforts from beneath the rubble continue.

In return, Israeli authorities will release 250 prisoners serving long-term and life sentences, along with 1,718 detainees from Gaza who were arrested after the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023.