Hamas released 20 living hostages on Monday as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that saw Israel pummel Gaza, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and left scores of captives in militant hands.
The first seven were released early Monday and were expected be reunited with their families and undergo medical checks in Israel.
Hours later, the remaining 13 living hostages were handed to Red Cross officials, who transported them through Gaza and handed them over to the Israeli military.
In exchange for Hamas freeing all living hostages, Israel has agreed to release more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in its prisons.
The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages from Israel are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear.
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Families and friends of the hostages who gathered in a square in Tel Aviv broke into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the hostages were in the hands of the Red Cross.
As Israelis celebrated the return of the first hostages, U.S. President Donald Trump touched down at Ben-Gurion International Airport, aboard Air Force One.
Trump arrived to celebrate the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, an agreement that he declared had effectively ended the war and opened the door to building a durable peace in the Middle East.
He was greeted at the airport by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accompanied to the the Knesset, where he’ll be just the third U.S. president to address Israel’s parliament.
A White House schedule said he will also meet with families of the hostages later on Monday.
He’ll then travel to Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheik to co-host an international summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and more than 20 world leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
WATCH | Hamas begins releasing remaining Israeli hostages:
Hamas has started to release the last of the living hostages taken from Israel during the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. The release is one of the crucial early steps towards a lasting ceasefire and ending the war in Gaza.
The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage.
In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children.
The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting.
The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90 per cent of its some 2 million residents.
It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.
Palestinian families await Israel to release prisoners
Families of Palestinian prisoners gathered at a popular overlook in the occupied West Bank near Israel’s Ofer Prison, where some of the 250 long-term prisoners are expected to be freed after serving up to four decades for offenses including murder and attacks.
Many Palestinians expressed hope the releases could open a path toward peace.
Jamil Jahalin, a tour guide from a Bedouin tribe outside East Jerusalem, said he was cautiously optimistic the exchange would proceed smoothly, including the release of his brother-in-law imprisoned for 23 years.
Jahalin added his family was later told by Israeli security forces that he would be deported abroad.
Israelis jubilant as first hostages released
Tens of thousands of Israelis are watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv.
The packed crowd in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv erupted in cheers as the names of the hostages to be released were read on local television. They clapped and chanted “Bring them home now!”
Some held Israeli flags with a yellow hostage ribbon on it. Others held posters with the faces of the hostages. Some clutched their chests and choked back tears.
WATCH | Adrienne Arsenault speaks with relief agency about situation in Gaza:
As the Israel-Hamas ceasefire takes effect, The National’s Adrienne Arsenault speaks to Yousra Abu Sharekh, the programs coordinator for INARA — The International Network for Aid, Relief, and Assistance — about the current situation in Gaza.
