Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza on Monday as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummelled the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and left scores of captives in militant hands.
The first seven were released early Monday and were expected be reunited with their families and undergo medical checks in Israel.
Hours later, the remaining 13 living hostages were handed to Red Cross officials, who transported them through Gaza and handed them over to the Israeli military.
In exchange for Hamas freeing all living hostages, Israel has agreed to release more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in its prisons.
The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages from Israel are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear.
Families and friends of the hostages who gathered in a square in Tel Aviv broke into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the hostages were in the hands of the Red Cross.
Released Israeli hostages, twins Gali and Ziv Berman, held in Gaza since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, speak to each other after being released in Reim, Israel, on Monday. ( Israel Defense Forces/Handout/Reuters)
As Israelis celebrated the return of the hostages, U.S. President Donald Trump touched down at Ben-Gurion International Airport, aboard Air Force One.
Trump arrived to celebrate the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas — an agreement that he declared had effectively ended the war and opened the door to building a durable peace in the Middle East.
He was greeted at the airport by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accompanied him to the the Knesset, where he’ll be just the third U.S. president to address Israel’s parliament.
A White House schedule said Trump will also meet with families of the hostages later on Monday.
He’ll then travel to Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheik to co-host an international summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and more than 20 world leaders, including Prime Minister Mark Carney.
U.S. President Donald Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, on Monday. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)
The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage.
In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children.
The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting.
The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90 per cent of its some two million residents.
It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.
WATCH | Hamas begins releasing remaining Israeli hostages:
Handover of Israeli hostages begins
Hamas has started to release the last of the living hostages taken from Israel during the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. The release is one of the crucial early steps towards a lasting ceasefire and ending the war in Gaza. End of long saga for hostages’ families
The hostages’ return caps a painful chapter for Israel.
Since they were captured in the attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release.
As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes, even as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire.
With the hostages’ release, the sense of urgency around the war for many Israelis will be effectively over.
It remains unclear when the remains of 28 dead hostages will be returned. An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israel’s co-ordinator for the hostages and the missing.
Palestinian families await Israel to release prisoners
Palestinians, meanwhile, awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel.
In the West Bank, an armored vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd waiting near Ofer Prison. As drones buzzed overhead, the group scattered.
The tear gas followed the circulation of a flyer warning that anyone supporting what it called “terrorist organizations” risked arrest. Israel’s military did not respond to questions about the flyer, which The Associated Press obtained on site.
Many Palestinians expressed hope the releases could open a path toward peace.
Jamil Jahalin, a tour guide from a Bedouin tribe outside East Jerusalem, said he was cautiously optimistic the exchange would proceed smoothly, including the release of his brother-in-law imprisoned for 23 years.
Jahalin added his family was later told by Israeli security forces that he would be deported abroad.
WATCH | Adrienne Arsenault speaks with relief agency about situation in Gaza:
Assessing the situation in Gaza as ceasefire takes hold
As the Israel-Hamas ceasefire takes effect, The National’s Adrienne Arsenault speaks to Yousra Abu Sharekh, the programs coordinator for INARA — The International Network for Aid, Relief, and Assistance — about the current situation in Gaza.