PREVIEW

Tens of thousands of Israelis assemble at Hostage Square, some having spent the night, to experience the joy of the hostages' release together, viewing live events on large screens. Spectators react as they shift from despair, to anxiety and to pure joy and relief. Twenty live hostages were released and the process of repatriating the bodies of 28 murdered Israelis has begun after 737 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza, kidnapped on October 7th, 2023. This prisoner exchange, the first phase of the Trump administration's multi part 20 point peace plan, secured the release of all remaining hostages in exchange for Israel freeing approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The deal, which also mandated an immediate ceasefire and a phased Israeli troop withdrawal to pre designated lines within Gaza, came into effect on October 10, 2025.