Hamas begins handing over Israeli hostages under ceasefire deal
Hamas has begun handing over Israeli hostages as part of a newly reached ceasefire agreement with Israel. Twenty Israeli hostages—believed to be among the 47 remaining (both living and deceased) captured during Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023—are being released. The first group of seven living hostages were transferred to Red Cross representatives in Gaza. In exchange, Israel is set to release 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 Gazans detained during the conflict.
This marks the initial phase of a larger peace deal brokered with international mediation, including from the United States, aimed at ending the two-year war while securing humanitarian relief for Gaza. Among the released hostages are former Nova Music Festival captives; many of them appear frail, having suffered from prolonged captivity. The deal also includes returning remains of deceased hostages. The release has sparked emotional scenes in Tel Aviv as families and supporters gather in relief and hope.
There remain unsettled issues such as locating the bodies of some deceased hostages, ensuring Hamas’s disarmament, defining the nature of Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and affirming continued humanitarian aid. The success of this agreement hinges on whether each party keeps its commitments in the coming days.
