Families celebrate return after Hamas ceasefire, Trump arrives for peace talks

Hamas fighters handed over the hostages to Red Cross aid workers as ceasefire terms were agreed upon; The first seven crossed into Israel about three hours before the noon deadline (8pm AEST) on Monday. While the surviving hostages will be released later, the bodies of the 28 deceased hostages will be received by the International Red Cross.

The moments when officials confirmed that the hostages had been returned alive as expected after 736 days of captivity were shown live as crowds cheered at meetings across Israel.

The release began with seven young Israelis, including those captured at the Nova music festival or in communities in southern Israel during the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.

One of the first seven hostages to emerge was Alon Ohel, a young man who was determined to pursue a career in music before he was kidnapped by Hamas at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023.

Pianist Ohel had just returned to Israel from a holiday in Asia, from Thailand to India to Nepal, and chose to join her friends at the music festival. He was trapped in a group in a bomb shelter and captured while the others were slaughtered.

The other two released siblings, Ziv and Gali Berman, were taken by Hamas from their home on the Kfar-Aza kibbutz, along with their friend Emily Damari, a young British-Israeli woman. Damari was released in January as part of a temporary ceasefire, while the brothers were kept as bargaining chips.

Hostages had been released before; some through negotiations during the war, some through the determination of Israeli troops to find the Hamas tunnels and do whatever is necessary to free those inside.

The search for the hostages became daily proof to the world of the relentless nature of the war and that Israel would never rest until all possible citizens were rescued. What some saw as a brutal war causing unbearable civilian casualties, Israel saw as a just cause.

The hostage transfer cleared the way for Israel to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, 250 of whom were sentenced to life imprisonment, to ensure the ceasefire continues under conditions agreed last week.

Trump raised hopes that the ceasefire could be turned into a long-term peace after more talks with global leaders at a summit in Egypt that will include Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who leads a governing authority that will help restore stability in Gaza.

“The war is over, you understand that,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Israel.

However, after the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers in the last few days, no agreement was reached on the force structure that will govern Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces said the country remained in a “multi-front war” and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled that more conflict could occur.

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“This is a historic event that combines the sadness of the release of the murderers and the joy of the return of the hostages,” Netanyahu said in a televised speech on the eve of the hostages’ release.

“And I want to say this: Wherever we fought, we won.

“But I must also say that the campaign is not over. We still have huge security challenges ahead of us. Some of our enemies are trying to rebuild themselves to attack us again. And as we say, ‘We’re on it’.”

The return of Hamas fighters to some parts of Gaza after the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers in accordance with the ceasefire conditions increased speculation that the clashes would continue.

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said the country was in the midst of a “multi-front war” with more challenges ahead.

Netanyahu is not expected to attend the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

Among those planning to attend are British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Jordanian King Philip II. Abdullah and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and European Council President Antonio Costa are also expected to attend.

Netanyahu appeared aware of heated opinions about his leadership ahead of the hostages’ release.

Netanyahu was booed when his name was mentioned in front of a crowd of nearly 500,000 people gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday to commemorate those killed and kidnapped. Multiple media outlets with reporters present in the square now known as Hostage Square reported the booing.

“I know there are many disagreements between us,” Netanyahu told Israel in a televised address on the eve of the hostages’ release.

“But I hope that today and in the coming period we have every reason to put these aside. Because thanks to our joint efforts, we have achieved tremendous victories. Victories that astonished the whole world.”

Netanyahu visited Israeli soldiers and commanders, as well as the relatives of those who lost their lives, and thanked the Israeli people.

According to the schedule announced by the White House, billboards and banners praising Trump, who is expected to meet with the families of the hostages in Tel Aviv and give a speech at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, were hung.

On the third day of the ceasefire, images from The Associated Press showed dozens of trucks crossing from the Egyptian side of Rafah into the Gaza Strip. The Egyptian Red Crescent said they were carrying medical supplies, tents, blankets, food and fuel.

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