Israel yesterday said that the last 20 surviving hostages returned home after two years in captivity in Gaza, as US President Donald Trump received a standing ovation from Israeli lawmakers after brokering a ceasefire with Hamas.
Trump’s lightning visit to Israel came ahead of a summit in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh cochaired by the US president, who has declared the war in Gaza “over.”
In Tel Aviv, a huge crowd which gathered to support hostage families erupted in joy, tears and song as news broke of the first hostage releases, although the pain for the loss of those who had not survived was palpable.
Photo: AFP
Under the ceasefire deal, Israel is due to release nearly 2,000 prisoners held in its jails.
In the Palestinian city of Ramallah, huge crowds gathered to welcome home the first buses carrying prisoners, with some chanting Allahu akbar, or “God is great,” in celebration.
“Welcome home,” the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a series of social media posts, hailing the return of the hostages.
On Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, Noga shared her pain and joy.
“I’m torn between emotion and sadness for those who won’t be coming back,” she said.
Israel has said it did not expect all of the dead hostages to be returned yesterday.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas is also due to return the bodies of the 27 hostages who died or were killed in captivity, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in 2014 during a previous Gaza conflict.
Among those Israel was due to release in exchange are 250 security detainees, including many convicted of killing Israelis, while about 1,700 were detained by the Israeli army in Gaza during the war.
On Oct. 7, 2023, militants seized 251 hostages during Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel, which led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians.
In Gaza, too, the ceasefire has brought relief, but with much of the territory flattened by war, the road to recovery remains long.
“I returned to Sheikh Radwan with my heart trembling,” 38-year-old Fatima Salem said after she returned to her neighborhood in Gaza City. “My eyes kept searching for landmarks I had lost — nothing looked the same, even the neighbors’ houses were gone. Despite the exhaustion and fear, I felt like I was coming back to my safe place. I missed the smell of my home, even if it’s now just rubble. We will pitch a tent next to it and wait for reconstruction.”
Trump’s visit to the Middle East aims to celebrate his role in brokering last week’s ceasefire and hostage release deal, but comes at a precarious time as Israel and Hamas negotiate what comes next.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One at the start of the “very special” visit, Trump brushed off concerns about whether the ceasefire would endure.
“I think it’s going to hold. I think people are tired of it. It’s been centuries,” he said of the fighting.
“The war is over. Okay? You understand that?” the US president added.
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