Palestinian militant group Hamas handed over seven Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza on Monday, marking the first phase of a landmark ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The handover comes as Israel prepares to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in a reciprocal arrangement aimed at ending more than two years of war.
The ceasefire, brokered with the support of US President Donald Trump, is seen as the most significant step toward peace in the region since the conflict escalated in October 2023.
Trump, who was due to arrive in Israel later Monday, described the moment as pivotal. “The war is over,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One. “I think it's going to normalise.”
Hamas has announced it will release 20 living hostages in exchange for over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Families and friends of the hostages erupted in cheers as Israeli television confirmed their transfer to the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered at public screenings, including a major event in Tel Aviv, waving flags and holding posters of the hostages.
The Red Cross said it had begun operations in Gaza to collect the first of the 20 surviving hostages.
“The ICRC convoy had arrived at the first hostage collection point in Gaza,” an official involved in the operation told Reuters.
The hostages were expected to be driven to Israeli security forces, then reunited with families and flown by helicopter to hospitals in central Israel.
Footage from Gaza showed a dozen masked gunmen, apparently members of Hamas' armed wing, at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, where some hostages were to be handed over. Chairs had been arranged in the sandy area for the reception of hostages and arriving Palestinian prisoners.
The ceasefire follows a war that began with Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and left 251 hostages in Gaza. Israeli airstrikes and ground assaults have since devastated Gaza, with local health officials reporting over 67,000 Palestinian casualties.
Hamas published a list early Monday of the more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners it plans to release. These include 250 serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis and about 1,700 others seized during the war. While Israel considers these prisoners terrorists, Palestinians view them as freedom fighters. The timing of their release has not been announced.
“It's very exciting,” said Meir Kaller, who had spent a sleepless night at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where hundreds of people gathered ahead of the release.
The return of the hostages marks a painful chapter closing for Israel and a step toward easing tensions, though many questions remain about Gaza’s future governance and Hamas’ role.
A summit in Egypt later Monday is expected to discuss global commitments toward postwar reconstruction and lasting peace.
“Much could still go wrong,” the reports noted, as key issues, including the ultimate fate of Hamas and the governance of Gaza, remain unresolved.
