Tel Aviv/Jerusalem, October 13, 2025 – In a moment that brought tears of relief and cautious optimism to families on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide, Hamas released the last 20 living Israeli hostages it had held captive for over two years early Monday morning. The exchange, part of the first phase of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal, saw the hostages handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, before being transported via Israeli military helicopters to hospitals across Israel for medical evaluations and reunions with loved ones. In return, Israel began the process of freeing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences or long terms for involvement in attacks against Israelis, from facilities such as Ofer Prison near Ramallah and the Ketziot detention center in the Negev desert. Hamas also committed to transferring the remains of four additional Israeli captives later in the day, a gesture that underscored the deal's bittersweet nature—marked by joy for the living but profound grief for those lost.
The releases unfolded under a tense but holding ceasefire that took effect last Friday, following Israel's cabinet approval of the agreement late Thursday night. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed the government's endorsement of the "outline for the release of all abductees—living and dead," triggering a 72-hour window for Hamas to comply. By midday Monday, all 20 hostages—ranging in age from 22 to 85, including soldiers, civilians, and dual nationals—had crossed into Israel at the Kerem Shalom crossing. Among them were the Berman twins, Gali and Ziv, 28-year-old brothers abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023, during the initial Hamas assault that ignited the war. Their neighbor, Emily Damari, who was released in a prior ceasefire in January 2025, waited anxiously in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, a site that has hosted daily vigils for two years.
The scene at Reim military base in southern Israel was one of controlled chaos and raw emotion. Ambulances lined up under a clear autumn sky as helicopters touched down, rotors still whirring. Families, some clutching faded photos of their loved ones, surged forward behind security barriers, their cheers piercing the air. "It's a miracle, but it's not over," said Ruby Chen, whose son Itay was confirmed killed during the October 7 attacks but whose body remains in Gaza. Medical teams, prepared for potential trauma from prolonged captivity, reported that most hostages were in stable condition, though several required immediate psychological support. The Israeli Health Ministry announced that all would undergo debriefings by the Shin Bet intelligence agency before full family access.
On the Palestinian side, the prisoner releases evoked a mix of jubilation and sorrow. In Ramallah, crowds gathered outside prisons, waving flags and chanting for freedom as the first detainees—many held without trial under administrative detention—emerged into the sunlight. Among the 1,968 to be freed are figures like Ahmad Manasra, whose case drew international scrutiny for his detention as a juvenile, and others convicted of militancy. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem hailed the swap as a "victory for our people's resilience," but emphasized that it came at an "immense cost" after two years of Israeli bombardment. Yet, the group stopped short of releasing high-profile prisoners like Marwan Barghouti, a Fatah leader serving multiple life sentences, whom Hamas had demanded but Israel excluded from the list.
This exchange caps the initial phase of a comprehensive 20-point peace plan unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump on September 29, 2025, during a White House meeting with Netanyahu. Trump, framing it as a "roadmap to everlasting peace," described the agreement as a "strong, durable" framework involving mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. The plan's first phase mandates an immediate ceasefire, full hostage release, partial Israeli withdrawal to lines controlling about 53% of Gaza, and a surge in humanitarian aid—600 trucks daily carrying food, medicine, fuel, and reconstruction materials. Aid convoys began rolling into Gaza via the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings over the weekend, with the United Nations reporting the entry of 1,200 tons of supplies by Sunday evening, including water purification equipment and bakery restoration kits.
Phase two, set for negotiation in the coming weeks, envisions a new governing body for Gaza excluding Hamas, the deployment of a multinational stabilization force led by Arab states, and the militant group's disarmament—a provision that has sparked internal Hamas debates and Israeli insistence on "zero tolerance for terror." Trump, who departed Washington Sunday for a "spectacle tour" of the region, addressed Israel's Knesset Monday afternoon, receiving a standing ovation as he declared, "Israel has won the war decisively—now it's time for peace that lasts generations." He later traveled to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where he signed the formal agreement alongside President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, earning Egypt's highest honor, the Order of the Nile.
Trump's involvement marks a personal diplomatic coup, building on his 2020 Abraham Accords that normalized ties between Israel and several Arab nations. Yet, the plan's success hinges on unresolved tensions: Hamas has demanded guarantees against Israeli re-entry into Gaza, while Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners, including Itamar Ben-Gvir, have threatened to topple the government if Hamas retains any influence. Analysts note that previous truces—in November 2023 (four days, 105 hostages freed) and January 2025 (six weeks, 33 Israelis and five Thais released)—collapsed amid mutual accusations of violations. This time, U.S. pressure, including Trump's threats of withheld military aid to Israel and sanctions on Hamas backers, appears to have tipped the scales.
As displaced Palestinians trekked north toward ruined homes in Gaza City and Jabalia—many pushing carts laden with salvaged belongings—the enclave's devastation came into stark relief. Satellite imagery shows 78% of structures destroyed or damaged as of July 2025, with entire neighborhoods like Khuzaa, once an agricultural hub, reduced to craters. The war, sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,139 Israelis and took 251 hostages, has claimed over 67,800 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza's Health Ministry—most women and children—with another 170,000 wounded. Independent analyses estimate traumatic injury deaths alone at 64,260 by June 2024, likely surpassing 70,000 by October, excluding indirect fatalities from famine and disease. The UN has declared famine in northern Gaza, with 92% of residential buildings uninhabitable and healthcare facilities targeted in 735 attacks, killing 917.
Classified Israeli military data, leaked in August 2025, reveals an 83% civilian death rate among Palestinians killed—higher than in most modern conflicts except Rwanda and Srebrenica—prompting genocide accusations from UN experts and human rights groups. Israeli officials contest these figures, attributing them to Hamas's use of civilian areas for operations, but the toll has rendered Gaza "largely uninhabitable," per UN assessments. Over 10% of Gaza's pre-war population of 2.3 million has been killed or injured, with life expectancy plummeting by up to 35 years in the first year alone.
Into this fragile calm stepped Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, whose stark assessment on Telegram echoed longstanding international calls for resolution. "Releasing Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners is a good thing, of course, but it won’t solve anything," Medvedev wrote, in a post viewed over 300,000 times. "Until a full-fledged Palestinian state is established in line with the well-known UN resolutions, nothing will change. The war will continue. Everyone understands this." Medvedev's words drew sharp reactions: praise from Palestinian advocates for highlighting root causes, and criticism from Israeli officials who viewed it as premature skepticism.
Medvedev referenced key UN frameworks, including Resolution 181 (1947), which proposed partitioning Mandatory Palestine into Jewish and Arab states; Resolution 242 (1967), demanding Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in the Six-Day War; and Resolution 3236 (1974), affirming Palestinian self-determination and return rights. More recently, the September 2025 "New York Declaration," endorsed by 142 UN General Assembly members, outlined a roadmap for a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel, excluding Hamas from governance and mandating an immediate Gaza ceasefire. Russia, which recognized Palestine in 1988, has consistently pushed this two-state vision, with Medvedev's intervention aligning with Moscow's broader critique of Western mediation as insufficiently addressing occupation.
Global leaders echoed Medvedev's caution. UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the releases but warned the "breaking point" in Gaza demands "irreversible steps" toward statehood. French, German, and UK leaders issued a joint statement praising the "significant developments" while urging progress on phase two. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a YouTube address, voiced support for Trump's efforts, calling for "sustainable peace" and humanitarian access. Even former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a statement, stressed a "path to a two-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians can live in security and dignity."
As Trump jetted between Tel Aviv and Sharm el-Sheikh—pausing for an impromptu nod to his role in the 2025 Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal—the region's broader fault lines loomed. Iran's proxies in Lebanon and Yemen have quieted but not demobilized, while West Bank settler violence has spiked, with over 1,000 attacks reported since October 2023. In Gaza, returning residents like Rami Hamda, who lost his home in Sabra neighborhood, spoke of desperation over hope: "I heard it was destroyed, but I need to see for myself. Tents are impossible to find."
The ceasefire's first hours brought glimpses of normalcy: children playing in Rafah streets free of drones, fishermen casting lines off Gaza's battered coast. Yet, with Israeli forces still holding half the strip and Hamas vowing to "remain committed to the struggle," the path forward remains fraught. As aid trucks rumble in and families reunite, Medvedev's warning resonates: without a sovereign Palestine—rooted in UN mandates—these gains risk evaporating into history's next cycle of violence.
For the hostages' families, like Avishai David waiting for son Evyatar, the day was "tremendous excitement, even if only on paper." "I want to see him, feel him. Only then will I know it's real." In a conflict that has scarred generations, that touch—fleeting as it may be—offers the slimmest thread of enduring hope.
