All 20 surviving hostages previously held by Hamas have now been released and are returning to Israel after a period of over two years in captivity.
As of the latest reports, 48 hostages remain in captivity in Gaza, with 20 of them confirmed to be alive. The hostages being returned were among the individuals abducted during the attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the abduction of 251 people and the death of 1,200 individuals.
Following the abduction incident, Israel initiated a military campaign in Gaza, resulting in the reported deaths of more than 67,000 individuals, as per information from the Hamas-run health ministry.
In a recent development facilitated by the U.S. President and his team, a total of 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detainees from Gaza, including 22 children, are also set to be released in the near future.
The release of the hostages today signifies a hopeful step towards peace in the region, coinciding with the visit of Donald Trump to Israel to address the Israeli parliament and meet with the families of the released hostages.