The Israeli army has confirmed that all living captives held by Hamas in Gaza were released into the custody of the Red Cross on Monday. The captives were freed in two batches, with seven released earlier in the day.
"According to information provided by the Red Cross, 13 hostages have been transferred into their custody and are on their way to IDF (military) and ISA (security agency) forces in the Gaza Strip," the military said in a statement.
There was no immediate comment on the condition of the Israeli captives.
Hamas said it will release the bodies of 4 of the 28 deceased hostages later on Monday. It was not immediately clear when the remaining 24 bodies would be sent back to Israel.
Meanwhile, nearly 2000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons are expected to be released as part of the ceasefire agreement. According to local media reports, two buses believed to be carrying Palestinian captives and Red Cross vehicles have left the Ofer prison.
In the West Bank, an armoured vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the families of the Palestinian prioners waiting near Ofer Prison. As drones buzzed overhead, the Palestinians scattered. The tear gas followed the circulation of a flier warning that anyone showing support for the prisoners could face arrest.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel on Monday to celebrate the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal, an agreement that he declared had effectively ended the war in Gaza and opened the door to building a durable peace in the Middle East.
As part of the plan, a surge of humanitarian aid was expected into Gaza, where a famine has been declared due to Israel's continuous blockade of aid. At least 460 Palestinians have died due to starvation induced by Israel's continuous blockade of aid into Gaza.
While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of prisoners marked a key step toward ending the genocidal war that has so far killed at least 67,000 Palestinians, more than half being women and children.
'We can breathe again'
Families and friends of captives broke out into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the hostages were in the hands of the Red Cross.
"Our beloved boy has been returned to us after two complex years...We admire his strength, we cannot stop hugging him,” the family of Matan Angrest, one of the Israeli captives freed earlier today said in a statement shared by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv.
The packed crowd in Hostages Square erupted in cheers as the names of the hostages to be released were read on local television. They clapped and chanted bring them home now.
Some held Israeli flags with the yellow hostage ribbon on it, others held posters with the faces of the hostages, some clutched their chest and choked back tears.
The hostages include soldiers, festival staff, and civilians from across Israel, many with dual nationalities. Among them are:
Matan Angrest, 22: Captured in his tank near Nahal Oz while stopping Hamas commandos.
Gali and Ziv Berman, 28: Twins taken from Kfar Aza; music producers holding Israeli-German citizenship.
Elkana Bohbot, 36: Festival producer and father of one, previously shown in weakened state in Hamas videos.
Rom Braslavski, 21, and Nimrod Cohen, 21: Captured during Supernova and near Nahal Oz, respectively.
David and Ariel Cunio, 35 and 28: Brothers abducted from Nir Oz, with six relatives also taken.
Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa Dalal, 24: Taken from Supernova festival; shown in propaganda videos while malnourished.
Maxim Herkin, 37: Israeli-Russian from Tirat Carmel, injured in captivity.
Eitan Horn, 39, and Segev Kalfon, 27: Captured from Nir Oz and Dimona; Kalfon worked at a family bakery.
Bar Kuperstein, 23: Army nurse and festival staff from Holon, abducted after helping injured festival-goers.
Omri Miran, 48: Israeli-Hungarian therapeutic masseur captured at Nahal Oz.
Eitan Mor, 25, and Yosef Haim Ohana, 25: Security guard and barman, respectively, both taken at Supernova.
Alon Ohel, 24: Pianist with Serbian and German nationality, taken while trying to avoid capture.
Avinatan Or, 32: British-Israeli abducted from Supernova; partner released earlier.
Matan Zangauker, 25: Taken from Nir Oz; girlfriend released during previous truce.
Living captives released first
Hamas released a list early Monday morning of the 20 living captives it will free as part of the ceasefire, and a list of over 1,900 Palestinians it said will be released by Israeli authorities.
Major Israeli TV stations were airing special overnight broadcasts ahead of the hostages' release as anticipation grew. People began to gather near a large screen in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv before dawn.
“It’s very exciting,” said Meir Kaller, who spent a sleepless night there.
The hostages' return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the October 2023 Hamas 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 Prime Minister Benjamin 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.
Israel expects the living hostages to be released together Monday. They will be handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and then to the Israeli military, which will take them to the Reim military base to be reunited with families.
It is unlikely that the remains of up to 28 other hostages will be returned on Monday . An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for the hostages and the missing.
The timing has not been announced for the release of Palestinian prisoners. They include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile.
While Israel considers the prisoners to be terrorists, Palestinians view them as freedom fighters against Israeli occupation. Israel has warned Palestinians in the West Bank against celebrating after people are released, according to a prisoner’s family and a Palestinian official familiar with the plans. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared retribution.
Trump in Israel and Egypt
Trump was first visiting Israel, where a White House schedule said he will meet with families of the hostages and speak at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Vice President JD Vance said Trump was likely to meet with newly freed hostages.
“The war is over,” Trump asserted to reporters as he departed, adding he thought the ceasefire would hold.
Trump will continue to Egypt, where President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi's office said he will co-chair a “peace summit” Monday with regional and international leaders.
Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, will attend, a judge and adviser to Abbas, Mahmoud al-Habbash, told The Associated Press. Netanyahu has rejected any role in postwar Gaza for Abbas, though the U.S. plan leaves the possibility open if his Palestinian Authority undergoes reforms. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007.
Other key questions in the ceasefire deal have yet to be resolved, including the future governance of Gaza and who will pay for a billion-dollar reconstruction process. Israel wants to ensure that the weakened Hamas disarms, and Netanyahu has warned Israel could do it “the hard way.” Hamas refuses to disarm and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza.
The Israeli military has withdrawn from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gaza’s far north and the wide strip along Gaza’s border with Israel.
Under the U.S. plan, an international body will govern Gaza, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gaza’s government should be worked out among Palestinians.
The plan calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It said Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 U.S. troops are now in Israel to monitor the ceasefire.
The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu.
