Hamas begins handing over Israeli hostages

The first seven of the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas after more than 783 days in captivity in Gaza, according to the Israeli military.

Under a ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump after two years of war, Hamas is due to release all surviving hostages on Monday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The releases came as Trump headed to the region for a peace summit, having declared the war “over”.

“According to information provided by the Red Cross, seven hostages have been transferred into their custody, and are on their way to IDF and ISA forces in the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli military and security service said.

“The IDF is prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later on.”

In Tel Aviv, hundreds of people gathered on Hostages Square erupted in joy as news broke of the first releases.

Among them, Noga shared her pain and joy with AFP.

“I’m torn between emotion and sadness for those who won’t be coming back,” she said.

On October 7, 2023, militants seized 251 hostages during Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel, which led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians.

All but 47 of the hostages were freed in earlier truces, with the families of those that have remained in captivity leading lives of constant pain and worry for their loved ones.

In Gaza, too, the ceasefire has brought relief, but with much of the territory flattened by war, the road to recovery remains long.

“I returned to Sheikh Radwan with my heart trembling,” 38-year-old Fatima Salem told AFP after she returned to her neighbourhood in Gaza City.

“My eyes kept searching for landmarks I had lost — nothing looked the same, even the neighbours’ houses were gone.

“Despite the exhaustion and fear, I felt like I was coming back to my safe place. I missed the smell of my home, even if it’s now just rubble. We will pitch a tent next to it and wait for reconstruction.”

Under the US president’s proposed roadmap, once the Palestinian militants have handed over the surviving hostages, Israel will begin releasing around 2,000 detainees in exchange.

Israel expects all 20 living hostages to be released to the Red Cross “early Monday morning”, according to a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One at the start of the “very special” visit, Trump brushed off concerns about whether the ceasefire would endure.

“I think it’s going to hold. I think people are tired of it. It’s been centuries,” he said of the fighting.

“The war is over. Okay? You understand that?” the US president added.

In Israel, Trump is due to meet the families of hostages, before addressing the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem.