Hamas releases first batch of hostages as Trump heads to Israel

Published : Monday, 13 October, 2025 at 1:02 PM Count : 23

Palestinian group Hamas released the first seven surviving Israeli hostages on Monday, an official involved in the operation said, the initial phase of a ceasefire agreement that US President Donald Trump helped to broker aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza.

The Israeli military has received the hostages from the Red Cross, a military source said.

The truce and the exchange of both hostages and prisoners follow two years of war that evolved into a regional conflict, drawing in countries such as Iran, Yemen and Lebanon, while deepening Israel's international isolation and reshaping the Middle East.

The seven hostages had been transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross from the armed wing of Hamas in Gaza, the official said.

The handover of the 13 remaining surviving hostages, plus 28 other Israeli hostages – 26 dead and two whose fate is unknown – is expected to follow.

Under the agreement, Israel was set to release almost 2,000 Palestinian detainees and convicted prisoners from its jails later on Monday.

Those 1,966 detainees boarded buses at Israeli prisons and most were expected to be released at Gaza's Nasser Hospital on Monday, an official involved in the operation said.

About a dozen masked gunmen dressed in black, apparently members of Hamas' armed wing, arrived at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, Reuters footage showed.

In Israel, people waving Israeli flags gathered near Reim, a military camp near Gaza, where hostages will be brought and then taken to hospitals.

Hundreds of people gathered at Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, cheering and waving Israeli flags and holding up posters of the hostages.

"The war is over," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew from Washington to Israel on Sunday. Asked about prospects for the region, he said: "I think it's going to normalise."

Trump is set for a hero's welcome when he addresses Israel's parliament later on Monday. He will be awarded Israel’s highest civilian honour later this year, Israel's President Isaac Herzog said.

Leaders to meet in Egypt, much still unclear

In a statement issued on Monday, the armed wing of Hamas affirmed its commitment to the terms and timeline of the deal, contingent on Israel’s adherence. It claimed that Israel agreed to a ceasefire and swap deal after it failed to free the hostages through its military offensive.

The conflict was sparked by a Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, that killed around 1,200 people in Israel with 251 taken hostage. Israeli airstrikes and ground assaults have since devastated Gaza, killing more than 67,000 Palestinians, the enclave's health officials say.

Progress towards a lasting peace now hinges on global commitments that may be taken up by a summit later on Monday of more than 20 world leaders led by Trump in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh resort.

Much could still go wrong. Further steps in Trump's 20-point plan have yet to be agreed. Those include how the demolished Gaza Strip will be governed once fighting ends, and the ultimate fate of Hamas, which has rejected Israel's demands it disarm.

FP/MI