Israel announced on Monday that the final 20 surviving hostages had been freed and returned home after two years of captivity in Gaza.
The news came as US President Donald Trump received a standing ovation from Israeli lawmakers for his role in brokering a ceasefire with Hamas, a move he declared had officially brought the war in Gaza to an end.
Trump’s surprise visit to Israel came ahead of a peace summit in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh, which he is co-chairing with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The American leader hailed the ceasefire as a historic step, saying on Air Force One that “the war is over. Okay? You understand that?”
In Tel Aviv, crowds erupted into tears and song as the freed hostages returned home. Yet, the celebrations were bittersweet, marked by grief for those who did not survive captivity. “I’m torn between emotion and sadness for those who won’t be coming back,” said Noga, a woman gathered in Hostages Square to greet the survivors.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 convicted of killing Israelis. Thousands more detained during the war are also expected to be freed. In Ramallah, large crowds welcomed the first buses of released prisoners with chants of “Allahu akbar,” or “God is the greatest.”
Israel confirmed that Hamas will also return the remains of 27 hostages who died in captivity, along with the body of a soldier killed in the 2014 Gaza conflict. “Welcome home,” Israel’s foreign ministry posted on X, celebrating the end of a painful chapter.
The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, which triggered the conflict, saw militants seize 251 hostages and kill over 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Though earlier truces had freed most captives, 47 remained in Gaza until this latest deal.
In Gaza, residents are also emerging from the ruins of war. “I returned to Sheikh Radwan with my heart trembling,” said 38-year-old Fatima Salem, describing her return to a shattered neighborhood. “Nothing looked the same… even the neighbours’ houses were gone. But I missed the smell of my home, even if it’s now just rubble.”
Trump’s visit was aimed at celebrating his ceasefire and 20-point peace plan, unveiled in September, which paved the way for the agreement. Negotiators, however, continued working through the weekend to finalize details. Hamas reportedly pushed for the release of seven senior Palestinian figures, a demand Israel has resisted.
After leaving Israel, Trump will co-host a summit in Egypt with world leaders to solidify his Gaza peace plan and discuss next steps. The initiative calls for a partial Israeli withdrawal, replaced by a US-led multinational peacekeeping force. Trump said he had “guarantees” from both Israel and Hamas, as well as key regional players, that the deal’s first phase would hold.
Still, skepticism remains. Hamas has urged international mediators to ensure that Israel does not resume military operations in Gaza. “We call on all mediators and international parties to continue monitoring Israel’s conduct and to ensure it does not resume its aggression,” said Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem.
The Gaza conflict, which began in 2023, has devastated the enclave. According to the Hamas-run health ministry figures, the United Nations considers credible, at least 67,869 people have been killed. More than half of those deaths are believed to be women and children, underscoring the heavy humanitarian toll of the two-year war.
What You Should Know
Israel’s release of the final 20 hostages marks the symbolic end of the two-year Gaza conflict, following a ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump.
The deal includes prisoner exchanges, partial Israeli withdrawal, and plans for a US-led multinational force to oversee Gaza’s transition toward reconstruction and peace.
