By Philissa Cramer
All 20 of the Israeli hostages still alive two years after being abducted by Hamas have been returned to Israel, following an emotional morning that commanded the attention of Jews around the world who had lobbied for their release.
Meanwhile, buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah and in the Gaza Strip. As part of the deal, Israel began releasing more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
The war began when Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, an attack in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. In the subseqent Israeli military campaign, more than 67,000 Palestinians were killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Unlike in past hostage releases, Hamas did not stage release “ceremonies,” a condition of the deal the group in charge of Gaza made in striking a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal last week.
But in another departure, the group provided phones for hostages waiting for Red Cross vehicles to use to call their families, creating jarring scenes of joyful conversations taking place with masked terrorists visible on screen.
The family of Bar Kupershtein released a video of him telling his ecstatic mother, “It’s OK, Mom. Don’t worry.”
Einav Zangauker, the mother of Matan Angrest, was filmed telling him, “The war is over. You’re all coming home. You are my world. I love you.”
Another photo, released by Israel, showed Gali and Ziv Berman, twins abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, reuniting after being held separately in captivity.
Alon Ohel, who was thought to have suffered injuries to his eyes, could be seen putting on sunglasses provided to him by the Israeli soldiers tasked with bringing him home.
Related: These are the 20 hostages released alive on Monday.
And Lishay Miran-Lavi, waiting for husband Omri Miran after speaking to him by FaceTime, called their two young daughters to tell them, “Daddy’s coming home.” Soon, she and her husband were reunited in person.
The hostages appeared pale and gaunt but were walking on their own and in some cases appeared to be in improved condition compared to past footage released by Hamas.
The videos and photographs elicited joyous cheers from the tens of thousands of people who gathered in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where the site of pained prayer was transformed into a central address for jubilation.
The massive “Bring Them Home” letters that had loomed over the square for most of the last two years were revised on Sunday night to say, “Welcome Back Home.”
Another crowd convened at Reim, the kibbutz near the Gaza border where many of the hostages were abducted during the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023, and which would mark their first stop in Israel en route to being reunited with their families.
The gathering marked Hoshana Rabbah, the ritual to mark the end of Sukkot. Monday night marks the beginning of Simchat Torah, the Jewish holiday on which Hamas staged its attack and took roughly 250 hostages.
Of them, 37 who were killed on Oct. 7 or in captivity now remain in Gaza, along with the body of a soldier kidnapped in 2014. Under the terms of the deal, Hamas must release their bodies, too, but the group says it has not yet been able to locate all of them. Those that have been located will be released to Israel on Monday afternoon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised President Donald Trump and his administration for brokering the ceasefire that brought home the remaining hostages. He called Trump “the greatest friend that the State of Israel has ever had in the White House.”
“No American president has ever done more for Israel, and as I said in Washington, it ain’t even close. It’s really not a match,” Netanyahu said in his address to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
At the Knesset earlier today, Trump was met with a standing ovation today as he entered the chamber to address the country’s leaders.
“This is my great honor — a great and beautiful day. A new beginning,” Trump wrote in a guest book at the Knesset.
In a statement posted this morning on social media, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore wrote, “For 738 days, 48 Israelis were held hostage by Hamas. Through 18 holidays and 105 Shabbats, we felt their absence — empty chairs at our tables, yellow ribbons on our lapels and heavy hearts that refused to stop hoping. Today, as 20 hostages finally return home, we rejoice with their families and with all of Israel — even as we mourn the 28 who did not survive and pray for their loved ones to find comfort. For many, the healing is only just beginning. May this moment mark the start of renewal and, one day soon, of peace.”
The Baltimore Zionist District posted, “Today, we can finally exhale. They are home. We are deeply grateful to the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and to the American and Israeli negotiating teams, whose persistence, clarity, and determination helped make this historic moment possible. We also honor the Israel Defense Forces, whose bravery, precision, and unwavering commitment made this day a reality.
“To the people of Israel, your strength, courage, and unity have carried an entire nation through this long and painful chapter. You have reminded the world what resilience looks like and what it means to never stop believing in life, faith, and freedom.”
In a press release emailed this morning, B’nai B’rith International celebrated the return of the living hostages but offered a message of concern.
“As we welcome this moment of light after so much darkness, we remain deeply concerned about Hamas’ commitment to abide by the full terms of a peace agreement. History has shown that Hamas’ words too often mask continued violence and deception. The world must not turn away now — it must hold Hamas fully accountable, for the physical and mental condition of the freed hostages and for the two years of war unleashed by Hamas after its barbaric attack against Israel. The international community must ensure that peace is more than just a promise on paper.
“B’nai B’rith stands in solidarity with Israel and the global Jewish community, united in grief and relieved these souls have finally returned homes, even as we await the return of the final 28 who had been held captive.”
Philissa Cramer is the editor-in-chief of the JTA global Jewish news source. Jmore staff contributed to this report.
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