Hamas has released all 20 remaining living Israeli hostages under the ceasefire deal. Seven were transferred early this morning, followed by the final 13 a few hours later via the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Israeli authorities say the last group is now with Israeli forces and making its way to Israeli territory.
As he walked through the Knesset ahead of his address, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters the war was “over” in his view; Israeli officials have not used that language, stressing that the ceasefire and exchanges are part of a broader process. Trump is due in Egypt later today for a leaders’ meeting on implementation of the deal.
The exchange framework
Today’s releases form part of a U.S.-brokered arrangement that pairs the return of hostages (living and deceased) with large-scale prisoner releases by Israel. Officials say Israel will free hundreds to around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in stages, and that the remains of approximately 28 deceased hostages are expected to be repatriated under the agreement. The ICRC is facilitating transfers as a neutral intermediary.
The handovers have prompted scenes of relief in Israel, including gatherings at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, while in Gaza humanitarian access is improving but needs remain acute. Local coordination bodies say 17 bakeries are now operating across central and southern Gaza as aid flows increase under the truce.
Around 250 Palestinians serving life sentences in Israeli prisons are expected to be released and transferred immediately to the West Bank, Jerusalem and abroad, according to an official involved in the operation who spoke to Reuters.
The first of 38 buses carrying Palestinian prisoners has arrived in Gaza.
Meanwhile, an Israeli armoured vehicle and drones fired tear gas and rubber bullets at Palestinians gathered near Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank, where families were waiting for the release of their relatives, according to Al Jazeera.
Crowds of people greeted the arrival of buses in Ramallah with tears and joy, as they carried Palestinians newly released from Israeli prisons under the exchange deal involving the last living hostages held in the Gaza Strip, Agence France-Presse reported.
Hundreds cheered as the freed prisoners stepped off the buses, some wearing the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh around their necks, after being released under the U.S.-brokered agreement that provides for Israel’s release of 250 Palestinians detained for security-related offences, including several convicted of fatal attacks on Israelis, as well as 1,700 Palestinians arrested in Gaza since the war began in October 2023.
Later in the day, the remains of Israeli hostages held by Hamas are expected to be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Al-Hadath reported. The Saudi network did not specify how many bodies will be returned.
Israel has confirmed that at least 26 hostages are dead, while Hamas has said it may face difficulties locating some of the remains. Earlier, the armed group announced that all living Israeli hostages have now been freed.
Diplomatic backdrop
Trump’s Knesset speech, running behind the original schedule, comes before a Sharm el-Sheikh summit co-hosted with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, where participants will discuss security arrangements, reconstruction, and governance for Gaza. Key questions remain over disarmament demands and the structure of any international security presence.
Sources: AMNA, CNN, NYT, Reuters