DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip – Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza on Monday, as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the territory , killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and had left scores of captives in militant hands.
Buses carrying dozens of freed Palestinian prisoners, meanwhile, arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah and in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Prisoners Office said. Israel is freeing more than 1,900 prisoners as part of the ceasefire deal.
The 20 hostages, all men, arrived back Israel, where they will reunite with their families and undergo medical checks. The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear.
While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group.
The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine .
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in the region , where he plans to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans with other leaders.
The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage.
In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead 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.
The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting.
The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.
“Much of Gaza is a wasteland,” U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the AP on Sunday.
Living hostages released first
People gathered in a square in Tel Aviv sobbed as photos of the hostages reuniting with their families flashed up on the large screens. The hostages have become household names and their faces familiar across Israel over the past two years, and tens of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country.
Soon after the hostages arrived back – after being handed first to the Red Cross, then to the military – Israel released the first photos of hostages arriving home. They included one showing 28-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman embracing as they were reunited. Hostages previously released had said the twins from Kfar Aza were held separately.
The photos of the first seven hostages released Monday showed them looking pale but less gaunt than some of the hostages freed in January.
Meanwhile, in Ramallah, cheering crowds greeted freed Palestinian prisoners. The buses arrived in Ramallah after leaving Ofer prison, in the Israel-occupied West Bank, said the Prisoners Office. At least one bus also crossed into the Gaza Strip, it said.
Earlier, while Palestinians awaited the release of prisoners, an armored vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd near Ofer Prison. As drones buzzed overhead, the group scattered.
The tear gas followed the circulation of a flier warning that anyone supporting what it called “terrorist organizations” risked arrest. Israel’s military did not respond to questions about the flier, which The Associated Press obtained on site.
The prisoners slated for release 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.
A painful chapter
The hostages’ return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the 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.
It remains unclear when the remains of 28 dead hostages will be returned. 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.
Trump is traveling to Israel and Egypt
Trump arrived Monday in Israel, where he was to 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 told reporters as he departed – even though his ceasefire deal leaves many unanswered questions about the future of Hamas and Gaza.
Among the most thorny is Israel’s insistence that a weakened Hamas disarm . Hamas refuses to do that and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza.
So far, 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 the length of Gaza’s border with Israel.
The future governance of Gaza also remains unclear. Under the U.S. plan, an international body will govern the territory, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gaza’s government should be worked out among Palestinians.
Later Monday, Trump will head to Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit with leaders from more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East.
Netanyahu will also attend the meeting in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli side.
Mahmoud Abbas , leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, is also expected, according to a judge and adviser to Abbas, Mahmoud al-Habbash. The plan envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority – something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping reform program that could take years.
The plan also 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.
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