Living hostages released as part of ceasefire in Gaza

Hamas has released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza as part of a ceasefire, pausing two years of war that pummelled the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and left scores of captives in militant hands.

The hostages, all men, have returned to Israel, where they will be reunited 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 of the release remains unclear.

In Tel Aviv, families and friends of the hostages who gathered in a square broke into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the first group of hostages was in the hands of the Red Cross.

Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country.

Photos

Israel released the first photos of hostages arriving home, including 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 on Monday showed them looking pale but less gaunt than some of the hostages freed in January.

Meanwhile, more than 1,900 Palestinian hostages are to be freed by Israel in exchange for Hamas’ release of its remaining hostages.

An Egyptian official says 154 Palestinian prisoners have been sent to Egypt, while dozens of others arrived in Gaza and the West Bank by bus.

Hundreds cheered as the released prisoners arrived in Beitunia in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Tear gas

The freed men, with their heads shaved, descended from the bus, flashing V-for-victory signs; some were lifted up onto the shoulders of the crowd, while others sank into chairs nearby, exhausted.

Kamal Abu Shanab, a 51-year-old Fatah member from the West Bank town of Tulkarem, said: “It was an indescribable journey of suffering — hunger, unfair treatment, oppression, torture and curses — more than anything you could imagine.”

His face gaunt, he said he lost 139 pounds (59 kilograms) in prison.

Mr Shanab’s niece, Farah Abu Shanab, said: “We don’t recognise him. He’s not the person we knew. Our uncle doesn’t look like our uncle.”

Earlier, while Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of people held by Israel, an armoured vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd. As drones buzzed overhead, the group scattered.

The tear gas followed the circulation of a flier warning that anyone supporting what it called “terrorist organisations” risks arrest.

Israel’s military did not respond to questions about the flier.

While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners has raised hopes that it marks the end of the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group.

Aid

The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine.

US President Donald Trump is in Israel to celebrate the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas before continuing on to Egypt for a key summit that he hopes will solidify an end to the war and pave the way for a more durable peace in the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that he was “committed to this peace” in a speech to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

Mr Trump is also expected to address the Knesset, and later will attend a summit to discuss the US-proposed deal and post-war plans with other leaders, though Mr Netanyahu’s office has said that the Israeli leader will not travel to Egypt due to a Jewish holiday.

Mr Trump may also stop at the Sheba Medical Centre to meet some of the newly released Israeli hostages.

“This is a great day, this is a whole new beginning,” Mr Trump told reporters after arriving at the Knesset. “And I think there’s never been an event like it, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

The US leader is planning to declare “the historic dawn of a new Middle East” in a speech to officials and that “generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change,” according to excerpts released by the White House.

War

Mr Trump will also insist that “Israel has won all that can be won by force of arms” and “it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity.”

In a gesture to Iran, which fought a brief war with Israel earlier this year, Mr Trump plans to say that “the hand of friendship and co-operation is always open”.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Mr Netanyahu greeted Mr Trump on the tarmac as a military band played. In Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, the site of continuous demonstrations during two years of war, the crowd cheered for Mr Trump.