Jerusalem, 13 October, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Seven Israeli hostages were handed over Red Cross custody in northern Gaza on Monday morning in the first wave of releases taking place.
Eitan Mor, Guy Gilboa Dalal, Gali and Ziv Berman, Matan Engerst, Omri Miran and Alon Ohel were all seen walking on their own. Dalal’s name was not mentioned in an earlier Hamas announcement which said six would be freed in the first wave.
In all, Israel’s 20 living hostages are to return in the coming hours, 738 days after being taken captivity in Gaza by Hamas.
The hostages were transferred to the International Red Cross, which will transfer them to the Israeli Defense Forces. The hostages will be reunited with their families and given preliminary checkups at the Reim military bases, then taken to hospitals. Hostages needing urgent medical care will be immediately evacuated.
The remains of the deceased hostages are expected to be released in seveal hours. However, this has been complicated by Hamas’ claim that it cannot account for all the remains. Israeli authorities do not know how many bodies will be returned. The remains of the deceased hostages will be taken to the National Forensic Institute for identification and confirm causes of death. Officials at the center cautioned that the identification process could take hours, or more than one day depending on the complexity of each case.
Then, Israel will release some 250 Palestinian security prisoners. According to arrangment, 250 of the remaining 303 Palestinians serving life sentences in Israeli prisons will be released, along with 1,700 detainees captured in Gaza since the war began, including all women and children. For each slain hostage returned by Hamas, Israel will release the remains of 15 Gazans it holds. Israel will ultimately release around 2,000 Palestinians, including some 1,700 from Gaza detained during course of the war.
Over the course of the day, U.S. President Donald Trump, who brokered the ceasefire, will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyau and address the Knesset. After about four hours in Israel, Trump will depart for Egypt, which is hosting a summit of regional and international leaders to discuss Gaza’s future.
The initial phase of the agreement calls for a partial Israeli withdrawal, leaving its forces in control of just over half of Gaza.
Israel insists that Hamas be disarmed and have no role in governing post-war Gaza. The Iran-backed teror group violently seized control of the Strip from the Palestinian Authority in 2007. To prevent weapons smuggling, Israel and Egypt and imposed a blockade.
Sundown marks the beginning of the Simchat Torah holiday, which is also the Hebrew anniversary of Hamas’ Octoer 7 attack. Around 1,200 people killed that day and 252 Israelis and foreigners were abducted.
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