Hamas Releases Final 20 Living Israeli Hostages
By Eli Sachs
Hamas released all 20 remaining living Israeli hostages on Monday morning, marking a pivotal moment in the implementation of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement that aims to end more than two years of devastating conflict in Gaza. The hostages, who spent 738 days in captivity since being abducted during Hamas' October 7, 2023 attacks, were transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross before being delivered to Israeli forces.β
The release coincided with President Donald Trump's arrival in Israel as part of a Middle East diplomatic tour designed to cement his administration's Gaza peace plan. In exchange for the hostages, Israel began releasing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences and approximately 1,700 Palestinians detained in Gaza since October 7, 2023.β
The Hostage Release
The initial group of seven hostages was transferred to the Red Cross shortly after 8 a.m. local time, with the remaining 13 following at approximately 10 a.m.. According to the ceasefire agreement, Hamas was required to release all live hostages by noon on Monday. Israeli television broadcast emotional reunions, including a video call between Einav Zangauker and her 25-year-old son, in which she told him, "There's no war, it's finished. You are returning home".β
The released hostages, all men primarily in their 20s and 30s, were transported by military helicopter to medical facilities in the Tel Aviv area. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs identified the first group as Gil Gilboa-Dalal, 24; Moran Stela Yanai, 25; Agam Berger, 22; Arbel Yehud, 24; and Ziv and Gali Berman, both 28, along with Omri Miran, 48.β
"All the live hostages spent most of the past two years in underground tunnels, with very little food and water and almost no medical care for the wounds they suffered during Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks".
Israeli officials have expressed serious concerns about the hostages' health conditions after their prolonged captivity in harsh conditions.
The Prisoner Exchange
In accordance with the ceasefire terms, Israel commenced the release of Palestinian prisoners from facilities including Ofer military prison near Jerusalem and Ketziot in the Negev desert. The 250 convicted Palestinians serving life sentences will be sent to East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, or into exile abroad. However, Israel refused to release Hamas militants who directly participated in the October 7 attacks or high-profile prisoners such as Hamas military leader Ibrahim Hamed and former Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti.β
Notably, at least 154 Palestinian prisoners are being forcibly deported to third countries as a condition of their release, sparking controversy and accusations of violating citizenship rights. Tamer Qarmout, an associate professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, characterized the deportations as "unlawful" and "inhumane," noting that "these individuals are citizens of Palestine; they hold no other citizenship".β
Deceased Hostages and Ongoing Recovery Efforts
Under the agreement, Hamas must also retrieve and return the bodies of 28 deceased hostages, including two Americans: Itay Chen and Omer Neutra. However, Hamas has claimed it cannot locate all the bodies, stating that in some cases the militants guarding them were killed or the bodies were buried under rubble. The Hostage Families Forum confirmed that four of the 28 bodies would be returned on Monday.β
A multinational task force has been established to coordinate search operations and share intelligence about the possible locations of deceased hostages throughout Gaza.β
Trump's Middle East Tour
President Trump's visit to the region underscores his administration's role in brokering the ceasefire agreement, which was finalized on October 9 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. In his address to the Knesset, Israel's parliament, Trump declared, "We have done the impossible, and brought our hostages home," and proclaimed this as "the historic dawn of a new Middle East".ββ
Trump characterized the moment as representing not just the end of a war, but "the end of an age of terror and death," suggesting that "generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change". His speech was met with frequent applause and standing ovations, though two Arab-Israeli parliamentarians briefly interrupted the address by raising signs that reportedly read "genocide" and "Recognize Palestine".β
Following his Knesset address, Trump traveled to Egypt for an international peace summit co-chaired with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, aimed at discussing postwar arrangements and Gaza's future governance.β
The Broader Peace Agreement
The hostage exchange represents the first phase of Trump's comprehensive 20-point peace plan for Gaza. The ceasefire, which took effect on October 10 at 5:00 a.m. ET, includes provisions for 600 truckloads of humanitarian aid to enter Gaza daily, addressing the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the territory.ββ
Israeli Defense Forces withdrew to the eastern half of the Gaza Strip before the ceasefire began, though they retain control of approximately 53 percent of the territory. The IDF has assured Hamas it will not reenter western areas of Gaza if Hamas meets its ceasefire obligations.β
However, significant issues remain unresolved in the first-phase agreement, including Hamas' disarmament, full Israeli withdrawal, and Gaza's long-term governance structure. Phase two negotiations, set to begin after the completion of hostage releases and troop redeployment, will address these critical questions, along with international reconstruction efforts and the possibility of future Palestinian statehood.ββ
Public Reactions
The hostage release sparked celebrations across Israel, with tens of thousands gathering in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, a plaza that has served as a focal point for vigils throughout the two-year conflict. Crowds erupted in cheers, waving Israeli flags as news of the releases spread.β
In the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinian communities welcomed returning prisoners with jubilant celebrations. However, Israeli authorities distributed flyers warning West Bank residents against celebrating the releases, stating that participation in such activities could result in arrest and punishment. When Palestinians gathered at vantage points overlooking Ofer Prison to await their loved ones, Israeli forces deployed tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.β
Now What
Despite the progress represented by Monday's exchanges, substantial obstacles remain on the path to lasting peace. The agreement does not address fundamental questions about who will govern Gaza or the likelihood of Hamas fully relinquishing authority. Israel's continued military control over more than half of Gaza has drawn criticism from humanitarian organizations and raised concerns about the viability of sustainable peace.β
The war, which began with Hamas' October 7, 2023 attacks, has resulted in more than 67,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, according to local health ministry figures considered reliable by the United Nations. The conflict has also triggered additional fighting across the Middle East and left the Gaza Strip devastated, with returning residents now confronting widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure.ββ
The success of the peace plan will depend on continued diplomatic engagement, faithful implementation of humanitarian commitments, and the willingness of all parties to pursue the subsequent phases outlined in Trump's broader initiative. As Trump himself acknowledged in his Knesset address, while "this long and difficult war has now ended," only the first phase of the ceasefire agreement has been implemented, leaving the ultimate fate of the region's peace uncertain.ββ
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