Hamas Releases Last Israeli Hostages Under Ceasefire Deal

Under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, Hamas handed over the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages held in Gaza, as part of a broader exchange involving hundreds of Palestinian detainees. Reuters+2Financial Times+2
Israel, in turn, released around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including those held without charge and those serving long sentences. Financial Times+1
President Donald Trump, speaking soon after the exchange, called the move a culmination of the war and announced the conflict’s end — although many observers say deeper challenges remain. Reuters+1
Emotional reunions were captured across Israel, especially in “Hostages Square” in Tel Aviv, where families and crowds gathered to greet returned loved ones. The Guardian+1
The deal also stipulates the return of 28 bodies of hostages who died, though as of now only a portion have been handed over — Israel reported one of the returned bodies was rejected as not being a hostage. The Guardian+2The Washington Post+2
With this release, all known living Israeli hostages in Gaza have regained freedom, but the return of deceased remains and a final resolution of the Gaza war continue to hang in uncertainty. Financial Times+1