GAZA CITY,— Islamist group Hamas on Monday released all 20 living Israeli hostages under a ceasefire that halted two years of devastating fighting in the Gaza Strip, a key step toward ending the war through a deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, who arrived in Israel to address its parliament.
Seven hostages were freed early Monday, while the remaining 13 were released several hours later. The 20, all men, were reunited with their families and were expected to undergo medical checks.
The bodies of 28 dead hostages are also expected to be returned under the same arrangement, though the timing of the transfer remains uncertain.
Families and friends of the hostages gathered in a square in Tel Aviv, cheering as television stations announced that the first group of hostages had been handed over to the Red Cross.
Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the process at public screenings across the country.
Israel later released photographs of the hostages returning home. One image showed 28-year-old twins, Gali and Ziv Berman, embracing as they reunited. Hostages previously freed said the twins, from Kfar Aza, had been held separately.
The timing of when the remains of the 28 dead hostages will be returned is still unclear. An international task force will work to locate those not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for hostages and missing persons.
“Palestinians”, meanwhile, awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. In the West Bank, an armored vehicle carrying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets at people waiting near Ofer Prison. Drones were seen flying overhead as the crowd dispersed.
At Israeli prisons, about 1,968 Palestinian detainees boarded buses, according to an official involved in the operation. Most were expected to be released at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital on Monday.
The group includes Gazans detained during the war, along with around 250 prisoners, criminals, convicted of involvement in deadly attacks or suspected of security-related offenses against Israel.
While questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners has raised hopes of ending the deadliest conflict ever fought between Israel and the militant group.
The ceasefire is also expected to bring an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza, where many areas are suffering from severe shortages of food and medicine and are described as facing famine.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in the region, where he plans to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans with other leaders. Trump landed in Israel to address the Knesset.
As he entered parliament, Trump said Hamas would comply with a provision under his plan for the group to disarm, though Hamas has publicly rejected that demand. Speaking to reporters before his speech, Trump said “yes” when asked whether Gaza’s war was over.
Palestinians also waited for the release of hundreds of prisoners held in Israeli jails. Buses carrying detainees began leaving several facilities in the early morning hours.
The ceasefire deal is expected to allow a large flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are suffering extreme shortages.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led Islamist militants carried out a deadly attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, most of them civilians including women and children, and taking 251 hostages.
In the Israeli offensive that followed, more than 67,000 Gazans have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run authority. Independent experts regard its figures as the most reliable estimates of wartime casualties. Israel says most of Gazans killed were Hamas fighters.
The conflict has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced roughly 90 percent of its two million residents. Entire neighborhoods have been leveled, leaving the territory in ruins after two years of relentless fighting.
Yet uncertainty remains over whether the ceasefire will hold and what the next stage of Gaza’s future will look like.
(With files from AP | Reuters | Agencies)
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