GAZA CITY: Hamas transferred the 20 surviving Israeli hostages on Monday as part of a ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump.
A massive crowd in Tel Aviv supporting hostage families erupted in celebration upon hearing news of the initial releases.
The emotional scene mixed joy with palpable grief for those who did not survive captivity.
This exchange forms part of a broader deal requiring Israel to release nearly 2,000 detainees from its prisons.
President Trump arrived in Israel for a brief visit before heading to Egypt for a peace summit, declaring the conflict concluded.
The Israeli military and security service confirmed the Red Cross had taken custody of seven hostages for transfer to Israeli forces.
Israel’s public broadcaster later reported the release of thirteen additional hostages, citing an official source.
Noga expressed her conflicting emotions to AFP while gathered at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv.
She described being torn between happiness and sadness for those who would not return home.
Israeli authorities stated they did not expect all deceased hostages to be returned on Monday.
The ceasefire agreement required Hamas to return the bodies of 27 hostages who died in captivity plus a soldier killed in 2014.
Israel’s planned prisoner release includes 250 security detainees, many convicted of killing Israelis.
Approximately 1,700 individuals detained by the Israeli army in Gaza during the war will also be freed.
Militants originally seized 251 hostages during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,219 people.
Previous truces secured the release of all but 47 hostages, leaving their families in constant anguish.
Gaza residents experienced relief from the ceasefire despite widespread destruction across the territory.
Fatima Salem described her emotional return to her Gaza City neighbourhood to AFP.
She found all landmarks gone and neighbours’ houses destroyed amid the devastation.
Salem expressed determination to pitch a tent beside her rubble-filled home while awaiting reconstruction.
President Trump’s Middle East visit celebrates his mediation role during a delicate transitional period.
He dismissed concerns about the ceasefire’s sustainability while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One.
Trump characterized the conflict as centuries-old and declared the war definitively over.
His Israeli itinerary includes meetings with hostage families and an address to parliament in Jerusalem.
The president’s late September 20-point Gaza plan helped facilitate the current ceasefire agreement.
Negotiators worked through Sunday night finalizing exchange arrangements between the warring parties.
Hamas sources confirmed the group insisted Israel include seven senior Palestinian leaders in the release.
Israeli officials had previously rejected at least one of the names proposed by Hamas.
Trump will co-host a summit with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Egypt involving over twenty world leaders.
This gathering aims to support his plan for ending the Gaza war and promoting regional peace.
Significant uncertainties remain regarding Hamas’s disarmament and Israel’s complete Gaza withdrawal.
Trump asserted having guarantees from both sides and key regional players about the deal’s implementation.
He expressed pride at the prospect of visiting Gaza despite security challenges preventing immediate travel.
The president confirmed a new Gaza governing body would be established very quickly under his leadership.
A US-led multinational force will replace Israeli troops during their partial Gaza withdrawal phase.
Gaza’s health ministry reports at least 67,806 deaths during Israel’s military campaign.
United Nations officials consider these figures from the Hamas-run territory credible.
The data shows more than half the casualties were women and children, though combatant status remains unspecified. – AFP
