Hamas Frees Hostages in Gaza Ceasefire Deal

Israel announced that Hamas has released all 20 remaining Israeli hostages as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

The surviving hostages—men aged 20 to 48—were exchanged for more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, following over two years of captivity in Gaza’s tunnels. Hamas initially handed over seven hostages to the Red Cross, followed later by the remaining 13, leading to emotional reunions with their families. The freed Israelis were taken to a special recovery facility for private medical care.

Across Israel, thousands watched the moment of freedom on public screens, cheering as broadcasters confirmed that the hostages were safely in Red Cross custody. Some of the captives had been abducted from their homes, while others were taken from the Nova music festival during the October 2023 attacks.

Israel previously said that out of the 251 kidnapped individuals, 20 were still believed alive and 28 were confirmed dead. Four sets of remains are expected to be returned on Monday, though the timeline for the others remains uncertain.The release follows the first phase of Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan, which required Hamas to hand over all Israeli hostages, living and deceased, within 72 hours. The truce began at noon on Friday, prompting tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians to move north toward areas of Gaza devastated by Israeli bombardment.

Israel confirmed that more than 1,900 Palestinians were freed, including about 250 serving life sentences and 1,700 Gazans detained since the conflict began. Crowds celebrated across the West Bank and Gaza as buses of released prisoners arrived, with over 150 transferred to Egypt via the Rafah crossing.

A potential second phase of the deal, still under discussion, could involve further Israeli troop withdrawals from Gaza. However, questions remain over Gaza’s future governance and Hamas’s disarmament.

Donald Trump arrived in Israel on Monday, receiving a hero’s welcome for brokering the ceasefire. Addressing the Knesset, he called the deal “a historic dawn of a new Middle East,” earning several standing ovations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised him as Israel’s “greatest friend” and announced plans to award him the nation’s highest honor.

Trump also urged Palestinians to focus on rebuilding their society and called on Israel’s president to pardon Netanyahu, who faces corruption charges. He will next travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for a summit with world leaders—including Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron—to discuss the post-war roadmap.

The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. Israel’s retaliatory strikes and ground operations have since devastated Gaza, with more than 67,000 reported dead, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which says about half were women and children.