Report
The 20 hostages returned to Israel to hug their families again
All 20 hostages, held for two years in tunnels where many suffered abuse and starvation, returned pale and emaciated, but remarkably, they were smiling, on their feet, and in better condition than many had feared.
“Matan, the war is over, come home!” For two years, an entire country had hoped to hear Einav Zangauker say those words to her son, a hostage since October 7, 2023. And finally, two years later, what had seemed like a mirage came true when Hamas released the 20 hostages still alive as part of the agreement brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Since Sunday evening, tens of thousands of Israelis had gathered in Hostage Square, keeping a vigil through the night to watch the hostage release on large screens. The first seven hostages – Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, Guy Gilboa-Dallal and the twins Gali and Ziv Berman – were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza City around 8:00 a.m. on Monday. The next 13 – Elkana Bohbot, Avinatan Or, Yosef-Haim Ohana, Evyatar David, Rom Braslavski, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Matan Zangauker, Bar Kupershtein and brothers David and Ariel Cuniowere – were released to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, in the south of the Strip, shortly before 11:00 a.m.
The footage showed the hostages accompanied by armed Hamas men and forced to wear the usual fake Israeli military uniforms, but this time the agreement forbade Hamas from staging the macabre propaganda ceremonies that had accompanied previous releases. Unexpectedly, Hamas also agreed to arrange video calls between the hostages and their families prior to their release. About an hour later, they were given into the custody of Israeli forces inside Gaza and taken to the Re'im border crossing, where they were gradually reunited with their families. At Re'im, they also underwent initial medical checks to determine if any required immediate and urgent care before being transported by helicopter to hospitals in central Israel for further treatment and rehabilitation.
Throughout the morning, as the media continuously broadcast images of euphoric and tearful families being reunited with their loved ones, crowds poured into the streets across Israel, applauding, waving flags, and singing. All 20 hostages, held for two years in tunnels where many suffered abuse and starvation, returned pale and emaciated, but remarkably, they were smiling, on their feet, and in better condition than many had feared. Everywhere, there were expressions of gratitude toward Trump and his team, seen as “divine” figures who had helped to end the nightmare – at least in part, at least for now. Trump himself showed up soon landing in Israel that same morning to celebrate the event and receive all the plaudits.
However, the joy and euphoria that had allowed Israelis of every political stripe a few hours of relief from the constant tension they had been under for the past two years began to wane in the face of the embarrassing spectacle of the U.S. president's live-broadcast visit to the Knesset.
Furthermore, although Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners concurrently, by lunchtime news spread that Hamas had returned the remains of only four of the 28 dead hostages it held, despite the agreement requiring the release of the bodies within 72 hours of the IDF’s withdrawal on Friday. “This represents a flagrant violation of the agreement by Hamas. We expect the Israeli government and the mediators to take immediate action to remedy this grave injustice,” said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which declared itself “shocked and appalled.” The four whose remains were returned were later identified by Hamas as Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi and Daniel Perez.
Only with the return of all the bodies and their proper burial will Israelis be able to move on from survival mode and finally address the national trauma from a critical perspective, hopefully embarking on the process of accountability that is essential for any shared future.
Originally published at https://ilmanifesto.it/torni-a-casa-i-20-ostaggi-riabbracciano-le-loro-famiglie on 2025-10-14