Hamas released in the early hours of this Monday 20 hostages it had been holding captive since October 7, 2023. As part of the first phase of a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The details were confirmed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which reported that the hostages were initially handed over to the Red Cross and then transported to Israeli territory.
What happened this Monday is part of the first phase of a peace plan for Gaza designed by the U.S.
The release of the 250 Palestinian prisoners Israel held in its territory also began.
A bus arrived Friday morning in Ramallah, in the West Bank, with several of the released inmates for reunions with their families.
In addition to these prisoners, the release of 1,700 people detained in Gaza by the Israeli army is also expected, including 22 children.
On Friday, the Israeli Ministry of Justice published the names of the prisoners who would be released.
According to local reports, the list did not include seven high-profile individuals Hamas had demanded as part of the exchange. Among them were Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat, despite last-minute negotiations this Sunday.
It is planned that around 100 prisoners will be released to the West Bank, others deported to Gaza or Egypt, and a small number to East Jerusalem.
In Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, approximately 1,195 people were killed, many of them civilians, and 251 others were taken hostage.
Two years after that incursion, it was estimated that 47 of those hostages were still in Hamas’s custody, though only 20 remained alive.
Some of the bodies of hostages who died in captivity are also expected to be handed over this Monday.
Israel responded to Hamas’s attack with a military offensive that has left 60,000 people dead. Many of them children and women, and it has been labeled by a UN commission and other entities as “a genocide.”
Release Amid a Summit
The hostage handover comes as a summit is being prepared in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, where the agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the conflict will be formalized.
Nearly 20 leaders will attend, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who has pushed for an agreement between both sides in recent weeks.
Before heading to Egypt, Trump will meet with the released hostages in Tel Aviv this Monday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The deal brokered by the U.S. government included Hamas’s release of hostages but also the liberation of thousands of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.
Later phases of the plan include the disarmament of Hamas.
However, as several analysts have pointed out, the plan leaves some points unclear. For example, which entity will control the Gaza Strip after the conflict ends and what guarantees exist that both sides will comply with the agreement.
“We Want the War to End”
On both sides, scenes of joy and celebration unfolded as those who had been held returned.
In Israel, dozens of people took to the streets to welcome the released hostages, especially those transported by helicopter to Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva.
“Welcome home,” they shouted from the streets.
Many Israelis also gathered in “Hostages Square” in Tel Aviv, the place that became the meeting point for families of those kidnapped by Hamas.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, when Red Cross buses arrived with the Palestinian prisoners, shouts of joy erupted among the gathered families.
Mothers and fathers cried as they embraced their loved ones, while others hoisted them onto their shoulders to celebrate their release.
Many of the released prisoners were serving life sentences after being convicted by Israeli courts for crimes such as murder.
They also appeared emaciated, some with visible injuries, and had difficulty walking.
In Gaza, particularly in the city of Khan Younis, people demanded an end to the conflict.
“What people want now is for the war to end once and for all,” said Abu Omar Saleh.
“We’re tired of death, destruction, and living in tents,” he argued.
Image: Opinion
