Tel Aviv: Emotional scenes unfolded across Israel on Monday as Hamas began releasing 20 hostages held in captivity for two years, under a historic U.S.-brokered deal aimed at ending the long conflict.
Crowds gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, Haifa, and near the Gaza border, waving flags and holding photographs of their loved ones. Families of hostages like Evyatar David, Matan Angrest, Segev Kalfon, and Eitan Mor anxiously awaited the moment of reunion. “We will continue fighting until all the hostages, alive and dead, are home,” said Hagai Angrest, father of Matan Angrest.
According to The Times of Israel, the first group of seven hostages — identified as Gali and Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, and Guy Gilboa-Dallal — were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza and safely escorted to an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) facility near Re’im. The hostages are undergoing physical and psychological evaluations before reuniting with their families. Emotional footage showed family members speaking with their loved ones through video calls before the release.
An additional 13 hostages were later handed over, bringing the total number released to 20. The bodies of 28 hostages remain with Hamas, with plans to transfer most of them later in the day, according to Israeli media outlet i24 News.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, left handwritten notes for the returning hostages, reading, “On behalf of the entire people of Israel, welcome back! We’ve been waiting for you, and we embrace you.” The Hostages Directorate has prepared welcome kits that include clothing, personal items, and electronic devices.
The IDF officially launched Operation Returning Home to oversee the repatriation. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the mission reflects Israel’s “victory over Hamas” after two years of combined military and diplomatic pressure. “This is a national moment of unity,” he said.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who brokered the peace deal, is set to arrive in Israel to celebrate the agreement. A large sign on Tel Aviv beach reading “Thank You” with Trump’s silhouette was displayed as a gesture of gratitude.
As part of the deal, Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and permit full-scale humanitarian aid to Gaza, which continues to face acute shortages of food and medicine. A peace ceremony marking the end of hostilities is scheduled for later today in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt — symbolizing what many hope will be the beginning of a new era of peace in the region.
