The last 20 Israeli hostages still alive in Gaza were freed on Monday, ending more than two years of captivity. They returned to Israel shortly before the release of Palestinian detainees, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt.
“The end of a long and painful nightmare,” hailed by Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump, who spearheaded the peace plan that led to the release, hailed it as “an incredible triumph for Israel and the world.” Greeted with a standing ovation at the Knesset during a brief visit, he declared that the day marked “the end of a long and painful nightmare” for both Israelis and Palestinians.“This is not just the end of a war — it’s the end of an era of terror and death,” he said, calling it “the dawn of a new Middle East.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, praised Donald Trump as “the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House” and said he saw the possibility of “swiftly concluding new peace treaties” with Arab nations. Trump was then expected to travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for an international summit on the future of the Palestinian territories. Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani attended alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The mediators are expected to sign a document ensuring the implementation of the ceasefire.
Scenes of joy in Israel and the West Bank
In Tel Aviv, thousands gathered at Hostage Square at dawn. Cheers, tears, and embraces accompanied the releases. “We’ve been waiting for this moment, but there’s still sadness for those who aren’t coming home and for the nearly 2,000 people killed in the war — two years of madness are finally ending… But it’s a beautiful day, the one we’ve waited for,” said Ronny Edry, a 54-year-old teacher.
A few hours later, in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, similar scenes of joy greeted the arrival of the first freed Palestinian prisoners. “It’s an indescribable feeling — a rebirth,” said former detainee Mahdi Ramadan, surrounded by his parents.
Under the agreement, Israel is to release 250 prisoners held for “security reasons,” including several convicted of deadly attacks, as well as 1,700 Palestinians arrested in Gaza since October 2023.
Gaza: A land to rebuild
In the Gaza Strip, devastated by two years of war, residents are trying to return to what remains of their homes. “I came back with my heart trembling,” said Fatima Salem, 38, newly returned to Gaza City. “My eyes kept searching for familiar landmarks, but nothing was the same — even the neighbors’ houses were gone. We’ll set up a tent and wait for the reconstruction.”
Humanitarian convoys have begun crossing through the Kerem Shalom and Rafah checkpoints in southern Gaza to supply displaced populations. According to a new AFP tally based on official data, 1,219 people were killed on the Israeli side during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, mostly civilians. Tens of thousands have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military response.
The U.S. plan stipulates that Hamas will be excluded from governing the territory and that its arsenal will be dismantled, while Israeli forces will gradually withdraw. For Gaza’s residents, a fragile hope is emerging — the hope of lasting peace and reconstruction after years of war.