Israel erupts as hostages are released

It was the moment Israelis had dreamed of throughout 738 days of national suffering: On Monday morning, after months of failed negotiations when their safe return seemed less likely, the last twenty surviving hostages held by Hamas on the darkest day in Israel’s history finally returned home.

“All living hostages have been released,” the head of Tel Aviv’s hostage square announced to a crowd of thousands of Israelis who had gathered in the city’s downtown square since the early hours of the morning hoping to share a long-awaited moment of national cleansing.

“That’s it! It’s nice to have you all home.”

Joy exploded in the square – the center of the campaign to release 250 Israelis detained by Hamas in its attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Some embraced each other. Some chanted, “Homeland, homeland.” Others cried.

“It’s crazy to be here. Dreams come true,” said Matti, a mother of two from Netanya, who has spent the past two years rallying for the hostages’ release. “They’re all really back.”

Within hours, videos of the hostages’ families reuniting with their loved ones after long separation and agony went viral.

In one of them, Etan Moore’s father cried and cried with joy as he hugged his son. In another message, Enav Zangawker, one of the most prominent activists for his release, shouted, “My life, my life, my life,” as she rushed to embrace her freed son, Matan.

The release of prisoners – in exchange for the release of more than 1,900 Palestinians from Israeli prisons – does not in itself represent an end to the recent war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, which claimed the lives of nearly 68,000 Palestinians and nearly 2,000 Israelis.

However, as the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, it is the biggest step towards ending the fighting since Israel broke a ceasefire again earlier this year. For a country where the fate of hostages has become part of the fabric of daily life, it was a moment of mass release that many feared might never come.

Since October 2023, details of the hostages’ lives have filled Israeli airwaves, their faces stare out at passers-by from posters, and marches demanding their release have become common.

“No one slept tonight,” said Yuval, a student from outside Tel Aviv, who came to the square early Monday morning.

“This is the most important day in our history,” he added, before quickly correcting himself. “Every week before that (demonstrating for the release of the hostages) was the most important day in our history. Today is fun and happy.”

For most of the morning, joyful reunions kept Israelis glued to their television sets, leaving the streets in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv unusually empty. Many Israelis stayed home to watch the prisoner release.

Those who ventured outside walked around streaming the news from their phones. At a bakery in Jerusalem, two shoppers watched a release video while queuing for bread. On the same street, he saw Murad and his colleague in the pharmacy sharing a cigarette break.

“No one thought this was possible,” Murad said. “It means peace and prosperity.” “This is probably the greatest thing that has happened to Israel in years.”

But even as Israelis celebrated — especially after Israeli forces attacked Gaza City again last month — the outpouring of joy was tinged with sadness for the families of the 28 hostages who will not return alive.

“It’s a miracle,” Rachel said as she waited with her husband, Henry, and her daughter on one of West Jerusalem’s main shopping streets. “It’s a really big thing that all the (living) hostages have been released, but it’s also a day full of great sadness for all the people who have not returned home. For all the families, all the mothers who fought so hard to bring their children home.”

For days, Israeli officials have been tacitly acknowledging that it will take some time before Hamas can locate the bodies of the 28 dead hostages — some of whom may be buried under rubble — and that it is unlikely that all the hostages will be returned on Monday.

When the armed group announced that it would return only four, the hostages’ families reacted angrily.

The forum representing the families of the hostages said, “This represents a flagrant violation of the agreement by Hamas,” calling for the suspension of implementation of the peace agreement until all bodies are returned.

“We demand the return of all 28 hostages. We will not abandon anyone.”

For some Israelis, the relief was also accompanied by frustration that the deal did not go through sooner, costing the lives of some hostages. Uncertainty was also widespread about whether Trump’s deal would truly end the war — or whether it would give Hamas time to regroup.

While the visiting US president was hailed as a hero during his lightning visit to address the Israeli parliament — his plane cheered as it flew over the hostage square — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was loudly booed when his name was mentioned in the square on Saturday. On Monday, the same reaction was only thwarted by a wily manager.

“This country brings you back to reality very quickly. There’s a lot of work to be done to make this the place it was,” Mattei said.

Others expressed hope that the hostage exchange would pave the way for calm. “Everyone is tired,” Murad said as he finished his cigarette. “Everyone needs a break. Everyone has paid a high price for this. I don’t think anyone wants to go again.”

“Today is a festive day. Everyone is happy.”

“It’s the end of an era. A dark era.”