Israel freed almost 2,000 Palestinians from its jails on Monday as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal, prompting emotional scenes of families reunited with loved ones, some of whom had spent decades behind bars.

Thousands of Palestinians crowded the streets of Khan Younis in southern Gaza as International Committee of the Red Cross buses carrying the freed prisoners entered the city. Video footage showed armed men escorting the buses through the town, firing guns into the air.

The Knesset, the Israeli parliament, greeted Trump with a standing ovation when he spoke there. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi gave Trump his country’s highest civilian honor later in the day. “This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East,” Trump said in his remarks.

U.S. President Donald Trump embarked on a whirlwind trip to the Middle East on Monday to cement the end of the war between Israel and Hamas, and to reaffirm his ambitions to usher in peace between the two.

The 20 remaining living hostages were released Monday in return for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

Family members of Palestinian prisoners and detainees have shared their joy at the release of their family members and friends. Israel released 1,968 people as part of a ceasefire deal with Hamas.

Preparations were underway Sunday for a ramp-up of aid entering the war-battered Gaza Strip under a new ceasefire deal that many are hoping will signal an end to the devastating 2-year-long war. The Israeli defense body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza,