Free at last

TEL AVIV—The eyes of the world were on Israel Monday as celebrations broke out amid the return of all 20 remaining living hostages who were taken by the terror group Hamas during the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. From Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to the Knesset in Jerusalem, Israelis and their supporters heralded the hostages’ return as a new era for Israel and the Middle East.

Shortly before 1 p.m. Israel time, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing hostage family members, issued a statement saying that after 738 days in captivity, the former captives were finally embracing their families, friends, and nation. The names of those 20 former hostages are Ariel Cunio, David Cunio, Avinatan Or, Bar Kupershtein, Eitan Horn, Elkana Bohbot, Evyatar David, Maksym Harkin, Matan Zangauker, Nimrod Cohen, Rom Braslavski, Segev Kalfon, and Yosef-Chaim Ohana.

Their return was part of the first phase of a U.S.- and Israel-backed ceasefire agreement, which the Trump administration and negotiators from Qatar brokered, with the help of Arab and Muslim countries, according to U.S. President Donald Trump.

In Hostages Square, a plaza in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art that has become the unofficial meeting place and memorial for those affected by the Oct. 7 attacks, the scene was celebratory Monday morning. The plaza was packed with people waving Israeli flags and posters of various hostages. Many held signs declaring “They’re coming home!” and chanted “Thank you, President Trump!”

Participant Yonatan Had said he cried when he learned the hostages were safe.

“It feels like they’re my brothers,” he said. “I come here every week—every Saturday—and it’s like I feel so connected to them. It’s like they’re in my heart.”

He said the release of the hostages lifted an emotional burden Israelis have labored under since the attacks. “These two years were so full of grief,” he said. “Everything was very dark all the time. Finally a bit of light and finally a bit of hope for the future.”

Many at the square supported Trump, crediting him more than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for helping to craft the roadmap to peace that led to the hostages’ eventual release.

Meanwhile, Trump received applause and accolades from Israel’s lawmakers in Jerusalem during his Monday appearance at the Knesset. In an address that lasted just over an hour, Trump thanked Netanyahu and members of his own administration such as U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He also credited Arab and Muslim countries he said pressured Hamas to accept the deal.

“Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change and change very much for the better,” Trump said. “It will be the golden age of Israel and the golden age of the Middle East—it’s going to work together.”

The first phase of the ceasefire plan, which began on Friday, called for Hamas to return all hostages—both living and dead—to Israel. In exchange, Israel agreed to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, many of whom were also returned on Monday. Difficulties remain, however, in recovering the remains of more than two dozen Hamas-held hostages believed to be dead.

Israel has also agreed to stop the fighting in Gaza, withdraw its military to predetermined lines, and allow increased aid into Gaza. That agreement has prompted a mass return of Gaza residents to their homes in recent days. The plan also calls for Gaza to be demilitarized and for Hamas to hand in its weapons.

In his speech at the Knesset, Trump said it was time to turn the page.

“You’ve won,” Trump told the Israeli lawmakers. “Now it’s time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. It’s about time you were able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.”

It remains unclear whether Hamas will make the necessary concessions to fulfill the ceasefire plan’s remaining phases, which include the establishment of a new government in the Gaza Strip. In the meantime, celebrants in Hostages Square agreed the return of the hostages could signify a turning point for the entire Middle East.

“I really hope the end is really over, and the suffering from our side and the other side can stop and we can rehabilitate,” said Ori Nachmani. “We need our time. They need their time. And I really hope the words of President Trump [are] true, and we will see peace. It will be the greatest end to this hell that we felt these two years.”

But while many agree that fundamental changes ought to be coming to the Middle East region under the ceasefire plan, not everyone agrees on which parties or nations should be held accountable for implementing change.

Tamarah Arounian suggested reform should stem from, in her words, “building bridges.” She suggested Israelis have a responsibility to try to understand the position of the Palestinian people.

“I don’t think the healing ever ends,” she said. “I think healing includes the other side too. I think that’s the only way everyone’s going to get the closure that they need.”

But Jacob Basiri interjected.

“We can’t build too many bridges. That change has to come mostly from the other side. We’re always happy to change. We’re always reinventing ourselves. We take care of our children, our cousins, our neighborhoods, our state. The counterparty … needs to care for their kids more than they care about killing us.”

—Read more from Travis K. Kircher’s reporting trip to Israel here.