Tel Aviv/Jerusalem, October 13, 2025 – In a moment that has reverberated across the world, Palestinian militant group Hamas handed over the first seven of the 20 remaining living Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross early Monday morning, marking the initial phase of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement aimed at ending two years of devastating war in Gaza. The releases, coming after more than 783 days of captivity in the besieged enclave, have ignited scenes of unbridled joy in Israel, tempered by profound grief for the dozens who will never return. As U.S. President Donald Trump touched down in Israel for a high-stakes peace summit, the developments underscored a fragile hope for lasting stability in the Middle East, even as questions linger about implementation and long-term reconciliation.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA) confirmed the transfer in a joint statement released at dawn. "According to information provided by the Red Cross, seven hostages have been transferred into their custody and are on their way to IDF and ISA forces in the Gaza Strip," the statement read. "The IDF is prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later on." Among the first group were Matan Angrest, a 22-year-old IDF soldier captured when his tank was ambushed near the Gaza perimeter fence on October 7, 2023; Nimrod Cohen, 20, another conscript soldier seized in the initial chaos; and Eitan Mor, 25, a barista and security guard abducted from the Nova Music Festival while protecting festivalgoers. Also freed were Alon Ohel, 24, a pianist kidnapped from the same festival; Omri Miran, 48, taken from Kibbutz Nahal Oz in front of his wife and two children; Evyatar David, 24, who had appeared emaciated in a Hamas propaganda video earlier this year; and Rom Braslavski, 21, a Jerusalem-based soldier working security at the event.
Emotional footage of the reunions flooded Israeli airwaves, capturing parents embracing sons they hadn't seen since they were teenagers and siblings collapsing into hugs after years of uncertainty. Angrest's family, long vocal critics of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the war, issued a statement praising Trump's intervention: "This is a victory not just for Matan, but for an entire people who refused to forget." In Tel Aviv's Hostages Square – a plaza that has served as the epicenter of nightly vigils for 783 consecutive days – an estimated 65,000 people erupted in cheers as live broadcasts showed the hostages boarding helicopters at Re'im military base in southern Israel. Blue-and-white Israeli flags waved under the morning sun, while chants of "Bring them home" morphed into songs of gratitude. Noga, a 35-year-old mother who has attended every rally since her cousin's abduction, shared her mixed emotions with Agence France-Presse (AFP) amid the crowd. "I'm torn between emotion and sadness for those who won't be coming back," she said, her voice cracking. "We've waited so long, but 1,219 lives were stolen that day. This joy is bittersweet."
The releases cap a whirlwind of diplomacy sparked by Trump's 20-point peace plan, unveiled last week in a White House address that stunned global observers. Brokered through intense backchannel talks in Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey – with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff at the forefront – the agreement represents the third major ceasefire since Hamas's unprecedented assault on October 7, 2023. That day, militants from Hamas and allied groups stormed southern Israeli communities and the Nova festival, killing 1,219 people – mostly civilians – and seizing 251 hostages in the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. The ensuing war has claimed over 67,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza health authorities, flattening much of the territory and displacing nearly 2 million people.
Prior truces had yielded partial successes: 105 hostages freed in a November 2023 pause, eight rescued by IDF special forces, five released unilaterally by Hamas, and 30 more in a January 2025 exchange that saw Israel release about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. But the remaining 47 – 20 believed alive and 27 presumed dead – became symbols of unrelenting agony for Israeli families, who staged massive protests, hunger strikes, and international advocacy campaigns. "For two years, we've lived in limbo," said Dani Miran, father of freed hostage Omri, in an NPR interview last week. "Every dawn without him felt like a fresh wound. Today, it's as if my son has been born again."
Under the current deal, Hamas is obligated to release all surviving hostages by noon local time (5 a.m. ET), with the bodies of up to 28 others to follow in subsequent phases. In exchange, Israel will free approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees – including 250 serving long sentences and 1,700 held without trial during the conflict – the vast majority destined for Gaza or exile in neighboring countries. Israeli ministers approved the prisoner list overnight, with buses already en route from facilities like Ofer and Megiddo prisons. Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya hailed the accord as a "guaranteed end to the aggression," citing U.S. assurances for enforcement via a multinational task force led by American troops. Notably absent from the exchange are seven high-profile Palestinian leaders demanded by Hamas, such as Fatah's Marwan Barghouti and PFLP's Ahmad Sa'adat, whose exclusion has drawn criticism from militants.
As the first batch arrived at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan for debriefings and medical checks – many appearing gaunt but alert – Trump addressed reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Ben Gurion Airport. "The war is over. Okay? You understand that?" he declared, brushing aside skepticism about the ceasefire's durability. "I think it's going to hold. People are tired of it. It's been centuries." The president, who applied what White House officials called "maximum pressure" on Netanyahu to secure the deal, is scheduled to meet freed hostages' families at Hostages Square before delivering a historic address to the Knesset – the first by a sitting U.S. leader since George W. Bush in 2008. His speech is expected to tout the agreement as an "incredible triumph for Israel and the world," emphasizing multilateral cooperation with Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE.
Trump's itinerary extends to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for a "peace summit" hosted by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, attended by leaders from over 20 nations but boycotted by Israel and Hamas. The gathering aims to finalize reconstruction aid – with hundreds of trucks poised at Rafah Crossing, set to reopen Tuesday under EU oversight – and outline Gaza's post-war governance. Aid agencies like the UN and World Food Programme plan to "flood" the strip with essentials, addressing a humanitarian crisis where 90% of buildings lie in ruins and famine looms. Yet, challenges abound: The second phase, involving full Israeli withdrawal, Hamas disarmament, and new security arrangements, remains uncharted. Israeli forces have pulled back to a 53% territorial hold, retaining the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt border, while Palestinians decry it as an "occupation in disguise."
In Gaza, the ceasefire has ushered in cautious optimism amid devastation. Displaced families trekked northward from tent camps in Rafah and Khan Younis, navigating cratered roads lined with collapsed minarets and shattered schools. Fatima Salem, 38, a mother of four from Sheikh Radwan in Gaza City, described her return to AFP with trembling resolve. "I returned to Sheikh Radwan with my heart trembling," she recounted, sifting through rubble that was once her home. "My eyes kept searching for landmarks I'd lost – nothing looked the same, even the neighbors' houses were gone. Despite the exhaustion and fear, I felt like I was coming back to my safe place. I missed the smell of my home, even if it's now just rubble. We will pitch a tent next to it and wait for reconstruction." Similar stories echoed across the strip: In Jabalia, elderly men salvaged family photos from debris; in Beit Lahia, children kicked a makeshift ball amid twisted rebar, their laughter a defiant spark.
The war's toll defies easy quantification. Gaza's Health Ministry reports 67,347 Palestinian deaths, including over 16,000 children, with countless more buried under unexcavated ruins. Israel's campaign, justified as targeting Hamas infrastructure, has drawn genocide accusations from UN experts and rights groups, though Israeli officials maintain it was proportionate self-defense. Economically, Gaza's GDP has plummeted 85%, with unemployment at 80% and water access limited to 5 liters per person daily pre-ceasefire. Rebuilding estimates top $50 billion, per World Bank projections, hinging on donor pledges at the Sharm summit.
Back in Israel, the mood swings between elation and introspection. At Hostages Square, where protesters once chained themselves to barricades, families like the Mor siblings – now reunited after Eitan's ordeal – shared tales of captivity gleaned from initial debriefs. Released hostages described underground tunnels, sporadic beatings, and morale-sustaining acts like Ohel playing piano on a smuggled keyboard. "They were our brothers in hell," said Yair Mor, Eitan's brother, freed in February 2025. Yet, for the 27 families awaiting remains – including those of festivalgoers Shani Louk and Noa Marciano – the pain endures. An international task force, including U.S. and Egyptian forensics teams, will scour Gaza for gravesites, a grim coda to the day's triumphs.
Globally, reactions poured in. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a joint commendation, welcoming the "significant developments" and urging sustained aid. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy drew parallels to his nation's plight, tweeting hopes for a "similar miracle" against Russia. In Sydney, thousands marched under Palestinian flags, celebrating the prisoner releases while demanding justice for Gaza's dead. Critics, including far-right Israeli ministers like Itamar Ben-Gvir, decried the deal as a "surrender," vowing to bolt Netanyahu's coalition if Hamas retains influence.
As Trump steps off Air Force One into a phalanx of security, flanked by Netanyahu and opposition leader Yair Lapid, the world watches a pivotal juncture. The ceasefire's first hours have held – no violations reported – but history cautions against complacency. Previous pauses in November 2023 and January 2025 crumbled under mutual recriminations. Trump's personal guarantee, backed by a U.S.-led monitoring force of up to 200 troops, aims to prevent that fate. "We've got the muscle now," one U.S. official told Axios, referencing Israel's March 2025 breach of an earlier truce.
For the freed hostages, reintegration begins tentatively. Psychologists at Sheba warn of PTSD, with many like David – who dug what he feared was his own grave in a Hamas video – facing nightmares of tunnels and isolation. Community support networks, bolstered by $100 million in U.S. aid announced today, promise therapy, vocational training, and peer groups. "Home isn't just a place," Angrest told reporters post-reunion, his voice hoarse. "It's the people who never stopped fighting for you."
In Gaza's shadowed alleys, Salem's tent rises beside her ruins – a symbol of resilience amid uncertainty. As aid convoys rumble toward Nasser Hospital for returning prisoners, and Trump's convoy speeds to Jerusalem, the region teeters on possibility. The war that redrew maps and scarred generations may, at last, yield to peace. But as Noga's words echo from Hostages Square, true healing demands more than releases: It requires reckoning with the dead, rebuilding the broken, and bridging divides forged in fire. Whether this dawn endures remains the question of our time.
