Hamas Hands Over Surviving Israeli Hostages Under Trump-Brokered Ceasefire

The Long Awaited Handover

For the first time in two years, the families of Israel’s remaining hostages could finally exhale. In a deeply emotional scene, Hamas handed over the 20 surviving Israeli hostages on Monday, as part of a sweeping ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump.

The exchange, confirmed by the Israeli military and the International Red Cross, saw seven hostages initially transferred into Israeli custody, followed by 13 more later that day. In return, Israel is set to release nearly 2,000 detainees including 250 security prisoners and 1,700 individuals captured during the Gaza war.

In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, hundreds gathered, waving flags and singing through tears as news of the releases spread. “I’m torn between joy and heartbreak,” said Noga, one of the relatives who has spent months protesting for her loved one’s return. “Some of us are celebrating. Others are mourning. It’s impossible to separate the two.”

The Price of Peace

The ceasefire marks the first significant breakthrough since the brutal conflict began in October 2023, when Hamas militants stormed southern Israel, killing over 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. While most were freed in earlier exchanges, the fate of those remaining became a national trauma their faces plastered on walls, their names recited in prayers and rallies across Israel.

Under the terms of the new agreement, Hamas will also return the bodies of 27 hostages who died in captivity, along with the remains of a soldier killed in 2014. The Israeli government has warned that not all bodies may be recovered, underscoring the lingering pain that even peace cannot erase.

Gaza’s Ruins and the Road Ahead

Across the border, the ceasefire has brought cautious relief to Gaza’s war-weary residents. Vast swathes of the enclave lie in ruins, with more than 67,000 people killed since Israel’s campaign began over half of them women and children, according to figures verified by the United Nations.

In Gaza City, 38-year-old Fatima Salem returned to what was once her neighbourhood. “Nothing looked the same,” she said softly. “Even the houses I grew up next to are gone. But it’s still home. I’ll pitch a tent beside the rubble and wait for the day we rebuild.”

Her words capture the haunting duality of this ceasefire peace on paper, but pain in the streets.

Trump’s “Peace Tour”

President Trump arrived in Israel on Monday, calling the moment “very special” and declaring that the war in Gaza was “over.” His lightning visit followed by a trip to Egypt for a global peace summit aims to cement his self-styled legacy as the architect of Middle East peace.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters, “I think people are tired of it. It’s been centuries. The war is over. Okay? You understand that?”

In Jerusalem, he is expected to address Israel’s parliament and meet the families of released hostages before co-hosting a summit in Cairo alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

A Fragile Future

The ceasefire deal is built on Trump’s 20-point “Plan for Gaza,” which outlines the creation of a new governing body led by a US-coordinated multinational force as Israel partially withdraws. But questions linger over Hamas’s refusal to disarm and Israel’s hesitancy to commit to a full withdrawal.

Trump insists both sides have given “guarantees” and hinted at a personal visit to Gaza, though no date has been confirmed. “A new Gaza will rise quickly,” he said, suggesting he would personally oversee its reconstruction.

Yet, as hostages reunite with their families and Gaza’s residents sift through debris, the region remains suspended between relief and uncertainty unsure if this ceasefire will mark the beginning of peace, or simply another pause before history repeats itself.

{Source:EWN}

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