Israeli hostages reunited with families after two years in captivity in Gaza
Israeli hostages released by Hamas and held captive in Gaza for two years were reunited with their families.
The IDF released videos of families embracing in highly emotional reunions.
The hostages, all men, returned to Israel where they underwent medical checks.
Hamas has released all 20 surviving hostages held in Gaza as part of a ceasefire that pauses a two-year war that has ravaged the region, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians and leaving scores of captives in the hands of militants.
The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are expected to be handed over as part of the agreement, but the exact timing of the release remains unclear.
Meanwhile, a convoy of Israeli vehicles, Red Cross jeeps and buses left Ofer Prison on Monday afternoon, carrying some of the 250 long-term prisoners to be released in the exchange.
The buses were heading towards the center of Beitunia, the nearest Palestinian town, where their friends and family were waiting for them.
In Tel Aviv, families and friends of the hostages gathered in a square and cheered wildly as Israeli television channels announced that the first group of hostages was in the hands of the Red Cross.
Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country.
Israel released the first photos of the hostages arriving at the house, including a photo showing twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, 28, embracing as they reunited.
Previously released hostages said the twins in Kfar Aza were kept apart.
Photos of the first seven hostages released Monday showed them looking pale but less emaciated than some hostages released in January.
Earlier, as Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel, an armored vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd.
The tear gas followed the circulation of a leaflet warning that anyone supporting what it called “terrorist organisations” risked arrest.
The released prisoners include 250 people serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis, as well as 1,700 people captured from Gaza during the war and held without charge.
While significant questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners has raised hopes that the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group is over.
The ceasefire is expected to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, where there is famine in some parts.
US President Donald Trump is in Israel to celebrate the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas before heading to Egypt for a key summit that he hopes will cement an end to the war and pave the way for a more lasting peace in the Middle East.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that he will not go to Egypt with Trump for the summit due to the Jewish holiday.
The plans were finalized during a phone call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi while he was in the Israeli parliament, the first stop of Trump’s whirlwind trip to the region.
Trump, who was welcomed on the tarmac in Tel Aviv by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Netanyahu, may also stop at Sheba Medical Center to meet some of the newly released Israeli hostages.
“This is a great day, this is a whole new beginning,” Mr. Trump told reporters after arriving in parliament. ””
“And I guess there’s never been an incident like this, I’ve never seen anything like this.”
According to excerpts released by the White House, the US leader plans to declare the “historic dawn of a new Middle East” in his speech to officials and “will be remembered for generations to come as the moment when everything began to change.”
Mr. Trump will also insist that “Israel has won everything there is to win by force of arms” and that “it is time to turn these victories over terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate reward of peace and prosperity.”
Trump plans to make a gesture to Iran, which entered into a short war with Israel in early 2025, and say “the hand of friendship and cooperation is always open.”
via Reuters and AP
