TEL AVIV (Realist English). Hamas released 20 Israeli hostages on Monday as part of a wide-ranging prisoner swap agreement designed to end the two-year war in Gaza, in the first major step under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire framework.
According to the International Red Cross, seven captives were handed over to its representatives at 8 a.m. local time (5 a.m. GMT) before being transferred to the Israeli military. Another 13 hostages were freed three hours later, officials confirmed.
In parallel, Israeli authorities began releasing 1,968 Palestinian prisoners in accordance with the deal. Most are expected to return to the Gaza Strip, while others will be sent to the occupied West Bank. Around 150 detainees are to be expelled from Palestine, initially to Egypt, before relocating to other destinations at a later stage.
The al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, hailed the exchange as a victory for the resistance.
“The enemy failed to retrieve its captives through military pressure, despite its intelligence superiority and overwhelming power,” the group said in a statement. “Now it is forced to recover them through a prisoner exchange deal — just as the resistance promised from the beginning.”
The group added:
“To our free prisoners: Gaza and its resistance have sacrificed their most precious assets to break your chains. Your cause will remain at the forefront of our national priorities until you all attain your freedom.”
In an unusual gesture ahead of the second phase of releases, Hamas allowed several detainees to make video calls to their families in Israel. Israeli media aired footage of captives Matan Zangauker, Nimrod Cohen, and brothers David and Ariel Cunio speaking to their relatives under the supervision of Hamas fighters.
In Tel Aviv, thousands gathered in Hostage Square, cheering as confirmation of the releases spread.
“The Government of Israel embraces our hostages who have returned to their border,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on X, quoting from the Book of Nehemiah (8:17):
“‘And all the congregation of them that returned from the captivity made sukkot and dwelt in the sukkot…and there was very great joy.’”
The statement added a traditional Jewish blessing:
“‘Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.’”
The exchange — involving the largest coordinated release since the war began — is being seen as a crucial early test for the ceasefire plan championed by U.S. President Donald Trump, which aims to secure the full release of all hostages, a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the start of post-war reconstruction in Gaza.
