All 20 remaining living Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas after two years in captivity, amid emotional scenes in Tel Aviv and praise for U.S. President Donald Trump’s role in brokering the ceasefire deal.
Hamas has released the last 20 known living Israeli hostages after more than 700 days in captivity, handing them to the Red Cross in Gaza under a U.S.-brokered agreement. The release marks a dramatic turning point in a conflict that began with Hamas’s 7 October 2023 assault on Israel.
The hostages, all men, were reunited with families on Monday with the help of the Israeli army. Footage of the moment some made video calls to their families was shared live to an estimated 65,000 people gathered in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv and broadcast nationwide.
Among those freed was 48-year-old Omri Miran, who was abducted from his home in Nahal Oz during the October 2023 attacks. “This is not a personal victory but a victory of an entire people,” his family said in a statement.
The release was part of a wider exchange that will see Israel release 1,718 Palestinian prisoners, including hundreds serving life sentences. The final group of 13 living hostages was handed over shortly before 11:00 local time, following an earlier transfer of seven.
The prisoner release is due to be followed by the repatriation of 28 deceased hostages. Many of their families had gathered daily for two years at Hostages Square, located opposite Israel’s military headquarters.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who is credited with mediating the truce, arrived in Israel on Monday morning and flew over the Tel Aviv crowd en route to the Knesset in Jerusalem, where he is scheduled to address parliament. Trump signed the Knesset guest book calling the day “a new beginning” and later said: “As far as I’m concerned, the war is over.”
Families of hostages praised Trump’s involvement. The family of Matan Angrest, a soldier captured near Gaza, said: “A huge, historic, eternal thank you to the president of the United States and his team… Our Matan is home.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the release “the first, crucial phase in ending the war,” pledging additional UK humanitarian aid for Gaza. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also praised Trump’s efforts, describing the event as a “crucial milestone towards peace.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed the return of the hostages, saying: “We are waiting for everyone – every last one.”
Under the agreement, Israel will carry out a limited military withdrawal from parts of Gaza. Further steps in the 20-point peace framework, including the future of Hamas and security arrangements in Gaza, remain under negotiation. Trump will next travel to Egypt to co-chair a regional summit in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Ukraine's improved position on the battlefield has done little to ease the humanitarian crisis affecting millions of people displaced by the conflict,...
U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday for peace talks with Iran, as Tehran’s renewed claim that it had blocked the Strait of...
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Mazen Torki Saud Al-Qadi, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Jordan, on 21 J...
Fuel stations in Russian-controlled Crimea stopped selling fuel to individuals and businesses from 9:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, the Russian-install...
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the violent attacks in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Friday, which left five men injured, were motivated by "an...
Ukraine's improved position on the battlefield has done little to ease the humanitarian crisis affecting millions of people displaced by the conflict, according to the head of the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
Fuel stations in Russian-controlled Crimea stopped selling fuel to individuals and businesses from 9:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, the Russian-installed governor said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the violent attacks in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Friday, which left five men injured, were motivated by "anti-Muslim hatred".
The United States has launched an investigation into Germany's pharmaceutical pricing policies to determine whether they unfairly disadvantage American companies and restrict U.S. commerce.
A train driver has been killed and nine people remain in a critical condition in hospital, after two trains collided near Beford in the east of England on Friday. The passenger trains heading to London collided at around 17:15 local time (1615 GMT).
Morocco captain and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi will face trial in France after an appeals court ruled there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck southwest of Greece’s island of Crete on Saturday, with no immediate reports of damage.
Paraguay kept their World Cup hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Türkiye, but the celebrations were tempered by a costly red card for veteran forward Miguel Almirón.
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire, a senior U.S. official has said. Hezbollah has released a statement saying Israel must leave southern Lebanon. Israel has said it agrees to the ceasefire, but has said its armed forces won't leave Lebanon and will resume hostilities if attacked.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Mazen Torki Saud Al-Qadi, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Jordan, on 21 June.
Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least nine people in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, including a child and an Al Jazeera journalist, Palestinian health officials said.
A new film by Swedish filmmaker Mikael Silkeberg traces a cultural journey from Scandinavia to Azerbaijan. The documentary ‘The Homeland in Memory’, available to watch now on AnewZ, looks at how cultural memory in Western Azerbaijan has resisted displacement through its preservation in tradition.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for killing two Syrian soldiers in the northern provine of Aleppo, in a statement on the group's Telegram channel.
At least seven people were killed and several others injured after two roadside bombs exploded in quick succession in northwest Pakistan on Saturday (20 June), according to local police.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment