{"id":71467,"date":"2025-10-13T09:43:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T09:43:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/71467\/"},"modified":"2025-10-13T09:43:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T09:43:14","slug":"what-to-know-as-israel-receives-20-hostages-freed-by-hamas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/71467\/","title":{"rendered":"What to know as Israel receives 20 hostages freed by Hamas"},"content":{"rendered":"

A critical day is unfolding for the Middle East as Israel began receiving the last 20 living hostages held by Hamas and prepared to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange in a breakthrough Gaza ceasefire deal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

U.S. President Donald Trump<\/a> arrived on Air Force One to a red carpet in Tel Aviv on Monday, where he will address Israel\u2019s parliament in Jerusalem before heading to Egypt for a ceremony marking the ceasefire plan.<\/p>\n

More ramped-up aid was being readied for Gaza, much of which is in ruins after two years of war that began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023,<\/a> killing some 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage. In Israel\u2019s ensuing offensive, more than 67,600 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, according to Gaza\u2019s Health Ministry.<\/p>\n

What we know and what remains unknown:<\/p>\n

Hostages are being released<\/p>\n

Monday was day 738 since the hostages were taken, a number many Israelis have updated daily on strips of adhesive tape worn in national commemoration.<\/p>\n

Twenty living hostages were returned Monday to Israel and will be reunited with their families and then transferred to hospitals, the Israeli military said.<\/p>\n

Hamas first released seven and then 13 hostages on Monday. Israel is expected to free over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. The exchange comes as part of the ceasefire reached in the two-year Israel-Hamas war that is the first phase of a peace plan<\/a> brokered by the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

It appeared unlikely the remains of up to 28 others will be returned at the same time. Medical experts and advocates say that would be crucial to begin the healing process for many families, and for society at large, but one ceasefire document contains stipulations for remains that aren\u2019t returned within 72 hours of the end of the fighting. That deadline is roughly noon Monday in the Middle East (0900 GMT).<\/p>\n

On Sunday, Israel said \u201can international body\u201d will help locate the remains if they are not released Monday.<\/p>\n

Palestinian prisoners slated for release<\/p>\n

As part of the ceasefire deal, Israel is to release around 2,000 Palestinians. Among them are some 1,700 people that troops seized from Gaza during the war and have held without charge since.<\/p>\n

Also among those being released are some 250 Palestinians serving prison sentences<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Many are members of Hamas and the Fatah faction who were imprisoned over shootings, bombings or other attacks<\/a> that killed or attempted to kill Israelis, as well as others convicted on lesser charges. They\u2019ll return to the West Bank or Gaza or be sent into exile.<\/p>\n

It is unclear who will be among the prisoners released back into Gaza, and whether any will be deported.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Egyptian<\/p>\n

Egyptian Red Crecent members monitor trucks carrying humanitarian aids as they enter the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, following an agreement between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo\/Mohamed Arafat)<\/p>\n

Egyptian Red Crecent members monitor trucks carrying humanitarian aids as they enter the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, following an agreement between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo\/Mohamed Arafat)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

Aid expected to surge in Gaza<\/p>\n

Humanitarian organizations said they\u2019re preparing to surge aid into the Gaza Strip, especially food that\u2019s been in short supply in many areas.<\/p>\n

That includes some 400 trucks from Egypt on Sunday that will have to undergo Israeli inspection before being allowed into the strip. The Israeli defense body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza said around 600 trucks of aid per day will be entering soon, as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement.<\/p>\n

The world\u2019s leading authority on food crises said in August that the Gaza Strip\u2019s largest city was gripped by a famine<\/a> that was likely to spread across the territory without a ceasefire and an end to restrictions<\/a> on humanitarian aid.<\/p>\n

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said famine was devastating Gaza City \u2014 home to hundreds of thousands of people. That famine was expected to spread south to the cities of Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by around now if the situation did not change. <\/p>\n

The larger task of rebuilding Gaza<\/a> is daunting, as much of it is in rubble and most of its two million residents displaced.<\/p>\n

Trump to travel to Israel and Egypt<\/p>\n

Trump, who pushed to clinch the ceasefire deal, arrived in Israel to a red carpet Monday morning. <\/p>\n

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog greeted Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner and advisor Steve Witkoff, who is thought to be leading the U.S. negotiation team in Egypt.<\/p>\n

Trump is scheduled to meet with families of hostages and speak at the Knesset, Israel\u2019s parliament, before traveling to Egypt for a \u201cpeace summit\u201d attended by regional and international leaders later on Monday. From there, he was slated to return to the White House, arriving overnight Tuesday. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Attendees<\/p>\n

Attendees listen to a concert at a plaza known as hostages square, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo\/Emilio Morenatti)<\/p>\n

Attendees listen to a concert at a plaza known as hostages square, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo\/Emilio Morenatti)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

Daunting issues remain unsolved<\/p>\n

The ceasefire and release of hostages is the first step in the proposed peace plan<\/a>. Competing demands remain on the next steps, casting uncertainty on whether the conflict is indeed over.<\/p>\n

Israel wants Hamas to disarm, and Hamas wants Israel to pull its troops out of all of Gaza. The future of Gaza\u2019s government, which has been in Hamas\u2019 hands for two decades, also remains to be worked out.<\/p>\n

Gaza\u2019s Health Ministry doesn\u2019t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the 67,600 deaths were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties<\/p>\n

\"Mourners<\/p>\n

\n Mourners carry the body of the Palestinian Mohammed Salama, 25, who was killed in an Israeli military raid, during his funeral in the West Bank city of Jenin, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. (AP Photo\/Majdi Mohammed)\n <\/p>\n

Mourners carry the body of the Palestinian Mohammed Salama, 25, who was killed in an Israeli military raid, during his funeral in the West Bank city of Jenin, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. (AP Photo\/Majdi Mohammed)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

\"Displaced<\/p>\n

\n Displaced Palestinians ride on a van loaded with their belongings amid rubble in Gaza City, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, after Israel and Hamas agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. (AP Photo\/Abdel Kareem Hana)\n <\/p>\n

Displaced Palestinians ride on a van loaded with their belongings amid rubble in Gaza City, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, after Israel and Hamas agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. (AP Photo\/Abdel Kareem Hana)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Follow AP\u2019s war coverage at https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/israel-hamas-war<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A critical day is unfolding for the Middle East as Israel began receiving the last 20 living hostages…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":71468,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[120,54,69,122,51,1983,85,119,2894,46,1984,61,48243,45061,20401,2034,43,40939,38495,7313,917,121,126],"class_list":["post-71467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-israel","tag-2024-2025-mideast-wars","tag-donald-trump","tag-gaza-strip","tag-general-news","tag-hamas","tag-hostage-situations","tag-il","tag-international-agreements","tag-isaac-herzog","tag-israel","tag-israel-government","tag-israel-hamas-war","tag-ivanka-trump","tag-jared-kushner","tag-melania-trump","tag-mideast-wars","tag-news","tag-prisoner-exchange","tag-prisoners-of-war","tag-steve-witkoff","tag-u-s-news","tag-war-and-unrest","tag-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71467"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71467\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}