In a historic moment, Hamas has handed over the final 20 living Israeli hostages who were captured during the October 7, 2023, attack and has now confirmed it no longer holds any more in Gaza.
The release, which was facilitated under US President Donald Trump’s ambitious 20-point Gaza peace plan, took place in two batches via the Red Cross in southern Gaza, with the freed captives airlifted to Re’im military base for medical evaluations and family reunions. The breakthrough ends a harrowing 730-day ordeal for families in a war that has devastated Gaza and claimed over 67,000 Palestinian lives.
The handover is the completion of phase one in Trump’s ceasefire framework, brokered by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with Qatar and Egypt. In exchange, Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, many serving long sentences for militancy, allowing them to return to Gaza or exile. Partial Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) withdrawal to a “yellow line” has already begun, enabling much more humanitarian aid through the reopened Rafah crossing. “This deal represents progress toward bringing everyone home, but our struggle ends only with the last hostage,” stated the Hostages Families Forum.
Isreali hostages had been kept in torturous conditions
Among those released are civilians like Matan Zangauker, a 25-year-old from Nir Oz kibbutz abducted at the Nova music festival, and Alon Ohel, a 24-year-old multi-citizen festivalgoer. Profiles reveal survivors of tunnels, starvation, and psychological torment, with many showing signs of trauma upon arrival. “We really want to see the rest… “It’s heartbreaking,” shared Rotem Cooper, awaiting his father’s body’s return, during BBC live coverage.
Public reactions have been ecstatic. In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, 65,000 Israelis gathered in joyous chants, while Gazans expressed mixed relief amid rubble-strewn returns home. Yet there are still hurdles to overcome: Phase two demands Hamas‘s full disarmament and a shift to technocratic governance, with reconstruction costs estimated at $50 billion over a decade.
“Hamas’s agreement exposes intentions and constraints—it’s a positive step but risks them reigning without ruling Gaza,” warned Jonathan Panikoff, former US intelligence official, in an Atlantic Council analysis.
As aid trucks roll in, hundreds daily, experts eye an Egypt summit for governance talks. With 155 of the 251 original hostages now alive and home, the exchange offers cautious hope for lasting peace, though Hamas’s disarmament remains the flashpoint.
