Crowds gathered across Israel as Hamas prepared to release 20 people held hostage for two years. Families, friends and supporters lined the streets, public squares and military bases awaiting the emotional homecoming of their loved ones.
On Monday morning, hundreds of people gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square and in the streets of southern Israel near the Gaza border, waving flags and carrying photos of detainees, The Times of Israel reported. There were mixed emotions when news broke that the first group of hostages would soon be handed over to the Red Cross in northern Gaza.
Friends of Aviator David, one of the hostages to be released today, marked the moment by wearing shirts with his photo and drinking wine, the Times of Israel reported, citing Channel 12. In the suburbs of Haifa, friends of another hostage, Matan Angrest, and his family also gathered, waiting anxiously.
According to the Times of Israel report, a friend of the hostages’ family said, “When we heard the news, we had shirts ready, everything was ready to finally welcome Matan!”
“We will keep fighting until all the hostages, alive and dead, go home,” Matan’s father, Hagai Angrest, told Channel 12 before heading to the Reim military base.
Galit Kalfon, the mother of hostage Segev Kalfon, said she still can’t believe her son is coming back. She said, “I was happy to wake up in the morning and hopefully I’ll stay happy until I meet Segev. I keep imagining the moment when I tell him everything is okay and he’s with us.”
The family of hostage Ethan Mor also said they were unsure of his condition. His grandmother, Pescia, told Channel 12 from her home that the family is filled with “great joy and gratitude to His Holiness.”
He said, “For two years the army has been telling us that he is alive; that’s all we know. A hostage who came back from captivity said he saw him, but it was a long time ago, and after that, all we know is what the army intelligence agencies told us.”
The handover of the hostages by Hamas to the Red Cross is expected to begin at 8 a.m. local time in northern Gaza, an Israeli defense official said, although it could be delayed. Other places are still being finalized.
Meanwhile, Hamas’s military wing released the names of the 20 surviving hostages to be released today, and confirmed that the list matches those shared with Israel during earlier talks.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu left handwritten notes welcoming the return of the hostages, who are expected to be released this morning, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. Apart from this, welcome kits prepared for them by the Hostage Directorate have also been left in the Prime Minister’s Office.
The note read, “On behalf of the entire people of Israel, welcome! We have been waiting for you, and we welcome you.”
The PMO further said that the kit includes clothes and personal belongings, a laptop, a mobile phone and a tablet, among other items.
Meanwhile, the Times of Israel reported that a giant board thanking US President Donald Trump has been displayed on a Tel Aviv beach, as footage broadcast by Channel 12 showed.
The sign, featuring a figure of Trump’s head, read, “Thank you.”
The sign also has the word “Home” written in English and Hebrew. Trump will arrive in Israel in the coming hours and celebrate the agreement between Israel and Hamas that will bring back the remaining 48 hostages and end the war.
Additionally, the historic Gaza peace ceremony will be held in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday afternoon.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Sunday announced the launch of Operation “Returning Home” aimed at repatriating people held hostage by Hamas. In a post on Twitter, the IDF said, “The IDF is now launching Operation ‘Returning Home’ to bring back its hostages from Hamas captivity.
In a few hours, we will all be one again, one people, embracing and united.”
Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, said the operation was an important achievement for Israel after sustained military and diplomatic efforts.
“The military pressure we applied over the past two years, coupled with complementary diplomatic measures, has led to victory over Hamas,” Zamir said.
He further said that Israel will continue to work to ensure that the Gaza Strip no longer poses a threat to the state and its citizens. Amid these ongoing efforts, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel is ready to take back its hostages “immediately”, indicating that the government is ready to take rapid action in coordination with the military’s new campaign.
Under the deal brokered by US President Donald Trump, Israel will release about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages and provide immediate “full assistance” to Gaza, which is facing severe food shortages and famine in some areas.