GAZA BORDER/ TEL AVIV – In a historic move that signals a potential end to one of the most devastating conflicts in the region’s recent history, Hamas on Monday handed over all 20 surviving Israeli hostages it had held for over two years. The transfer, a cornerstone of a fragile truce brokered through intense international mediation, has ignited a maelstrom of emotion in Israel while offering a glimmer of hope to a shattered Gaza.
The Israeli military confirmed the process was complete, announcing it had received a final group of 13 hostages after an initial group of seven had been transferred earlier in the day. The news sparked immediate and visceral reactions across the nation. In Tel Aviv’s “Hostage Square,” a symbolic epicenter of the long-running protest movement, thousands erupted in a cathartic release of cheers, tears, and embraces as the names were read aloud.
“Their nightmare is over. Ours is beginning to heal,” said one attendee, capturing the collective sentiment of a nation that had lived with the daily anguish of its captured citizens.
A “Great Day” and a Hero’s Welcome for Trump
The momentous development was swiftly championed by US President Donald Trump, who played a pivotal role in the negotiations. Arriving in Israel to a hero’s welcome, he addressed a special session of the Knesset before his scheduled departure for a pivotal peace summit in Egypt.
“This is a great day. This is a new beginning,” President Trump declared to reporters, his remarks broadcast globally. When asked directly if the two-year Gaza war was over, he offered a simple, unequivocal answer: “Yes.”
His arrival in the region underscores the high-stakes diplomatic effort to convert this temporary truce into a durable peace. The upcoming summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where the initial ceasefire agreement was forged last week, will aim to solidify the conditions for long-term stability.
Scenes of Liberation and Return
The human toll of the conflict was palpable on both sides of the border. In Israel, families endured an agonizing wait for reunification.
“I am so excited. I am full of happiness. It’s hard to imagine how I feel this moment. I didn’t sleep all night,” said Viki Cohen, mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, as she traveled to the Reim military base, where the hostages were undergoing initial medical checks and emotional debriefing.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry captured the national mood in a social media post: “We’ve been waiting 738 days to say this: Welcome home,” identifying the first group of released captives as Guy Gilboa Dalal, Eitan Mor, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Gali and Ziv Berman, and Omri Miran.
Simultaneously, the other side of the prisoner exchange unfolded. Israeli television broadcasts showed buses carrying Palestinian detainees, freed as part of the agreement, moving from Israeli prisons toward the Gaza border. In the war-torn enclave, the return of these prisoners was met with organized celebration. At Khan Younis’s Nasser Hospital, a stage was erected and a crowd gathered, with a dozen masked and black-clad gunmen from Hamas’s armed wing appearing to oversee the welcoming ceremony.
A Region Reshaped, A Future Uncertain
The hostage release is the most significant element of the first phase of the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement, but it occurs against a backdrop of immense destruction. The two-year war has left Gaza in ruins, with nearly its entire population displaced and a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportions. The conflict also dramatically reshaped the Middle Eastern geopolitical landscape, sparking direct Israeli confrontations with Iran-backed proxies, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis.
While the guns have fallen silent, the path to a lasting peace remains fraught with challenges. The success of this nascent process now hinges on the international commitments and reconstruction plans expected to be the focus of the Sharm el-Sheikh summit. The world will be watching to see if this “great day” can truly become the foundation for a new, more stable chapter for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
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