Hamas releases the last surviving hostages and Israel welcomes Trump as a hero.

Special envoy to JerusalemDonald Trump has done it. The ceasefire agreement he unexpectedly forced was finalized this Monday with the release of the 20 Israeli hostages who had been held captive since the October 7, 2023, attack, in exchange for the release of 1,968 Palestinian prisoners. Trump has forced Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to halt the war that has devastated the Gaza Strip over the past two years. Israeli troops have withdrawn from 47% of the territory, and aid has begun to flow in to alleviate the worst humanitarian crisis of our time. The US president arrived in Israel for a brief visit and to reap the rewards of the operation: he was the hero of the day.

Outside Netanyahu's house in Jerusalem, the tent for the families of the Israeli hostages, their friends, and supporters filled up early in the morning with hundreds of people watching the release on a giant screen. They've been mobilizing under the slogan "Come Home" for two years, and today is the day. Kate Fredy, wrapped in an American flag, summed up the moment for AHORA: "It's taken a lot to get here: a lot of sadness, a lot of hopelessness, a lot of fear, and a feeling that the world has abandoned us, and now it's as if our own children are coming home. They're our children. Now we must let them heal, and wait in their care. Two years later, today we begin to breathe."

Fredy moved to Israel from Los Angeles eight years ago with her family, after traveling frequently to the country since her teens. One of her sons is a soldier who fought in Gaza for months: "We have the most monstrous enemies. And no one said, in World War II, 'Don't kill all the Nazis, give them a chance.' We can't give these enemies who want to destroy us a chance. There's no place in the world for them." They must leave.

She says she is devastated by what happened in Gaza: "I am devastated, especially for the children. But when parents teach their children to hate and give them no choice but to grow up to hate, what choice do we have? Can't you have mercy on people who live on the dark side?"

He says he doesn't like the idea of the Israeli army remaining in Gaza: "I would like a complete divorce, and for the rest of the world to take care of this problem. And, honestly, I don't think we've done Gaza well. on vacation at Trump Plaza Gaza. Let them do what they want," he concludes, referring to Trump's plan to turn the Strip into a Mediterranean Riviera, although he admits that there is still a long way to go. "Let them do what is good for the Gazans, and let the Israelis heal. But we need a lot of help. We have to unlearn a lot of things before we can live together. I hope we are on that path."

Meanwhile, the giant screen showed the liberations live. One of the most celebrated moments was the photograph of the twins Gali and Ziv Berman, dressed, as they had requested, in the Maccabi Tel Aviv jersey. The helicopter taking them to the hospital flew over Bloomfield Stadium, where banners had been set up visible from the air. When journalists announced that all the surviving hostages were in Israeli hands, the tent erupted in applause and tears. Unlike during the last ceasefire, Hamas did not display the hostages in ceremonial displays of force, as had been agreed upon this time.

"What we did in Gaza is not right."

Among the crowd, a 21-year-old soldier, dressed in uniform and with his rifle slung over his shoulder, contemplated the scene and smiled with joy. Although he is a student of the Torah (many like him refuse to go to war because they deeply believe they are more useful defending the country with the Bible), he has fought in Gaza for three months and admits that what he has seen is a "disaster." "What we did in Gaza is not right, but we had no alternative. What is happening there is not normal, nor is what we did, even if it was a good goal: sometimes things don't go as one would like. But it has yielded results, and I am happy to have them all [the hostages] home." He also defends the Israeli army's continued presence in Gaza and says he is ready to return: "I trust our commanders, and they tell us that we must remain in Gaza."

Palestinian prisoners

With much less media coverage, the Palestinian prisoners have been released alongside the Israeli hostages. They include 1,718 civilians from the Gaza Strip who were detained by Israeli troops and have no connection to the October 7 attacks, and 250 sentenced to life or long terms for violent crimes. Among them, a total of 63 are Hamas members; the rest belong to other Palestinian factions or have no affiliation. Among those released is Marwan Barghouti, the most popular Palestinian prisoner and the only one who could reunite the Palestinians and negotiate a two-state solution with Israel. Neither is Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, head of neonatology at Kamal Adwan Hospital, who was detained after Israeli troops stormed the medical center last winter and for whom Amnesty International and other human rights organizations had called for his release.

At the last minute, Israel changed the agreed terms: the released Palestinian prisoners were expected to be reunited with their families in the West Bank, but 154 were ultimately sent into exile in Egypt. The 88 who arrived in Ramallah, the main city in the West Bank, received a brief reception because Israel had banned welcoming ceremonies like those held during the ceasefire agreement last January. The Israeli army fired tear gas and rubber bullets at hundreds of Palestinians who had gathered outside Ofer Prison in the West Bank to welcome the prisoners, according to footage shown by Al Jazeera and the Associated Press.

The forced exile of the freed Palestinians, announced at the last minute, has sparked outrage. Muhammad Imran's family had gone to Ramallah early to welcome him after Israeli authorities called them to confirm his release. He had been arrested in December 2022, before the October attacks, and sentenced to 13 life terms. His sister Ibtisam explained to Al Jazeera: "I received a call from an Israeli intelligence officer confirming that my brother would be released in Ramallah. He told us not to hold any gatherings or celebrations. That night, a platoon of soldiers raided the soldiers' house. It was a clash; we couldn't see him. But what matters is that he's free, whether here or outside." The homes of other Palestinian prisoners were also raided that night.