Israel Rejoices as Last Gaza Hostages Return Home

Emotional Homecoming Ends a National Nightmare
Who Were the Final 20 Hostages?
From Protest to Unity: Israel’s Emotional Whiplash
Netanyahu and Trump Declare ‘Time for Peace’
Does This Mark the End of the Gaza War?
The Long Journey of Recovery Begins
Sources

On Monday, October 13, 2025, Israel experienced a rare moment of collective joy as the final 20 living hostages held in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack were released and returned home. For a nation fractured by two years of war, political turmoil, and grief, the hostage homecoming offered a powerful symbol of closure—and a fragile hope for healing.

Crowds flooded Hostages Square in Tel Aviv before dawn, waving Israeli flags and weeping as live footage showed the captives crossing into Israeli territory. Helicopters carrying the freed hostages flew over stadiums and hospitals, greeted by cheers from rooftops and balconies across the country.

Who Were the Final 20 Hostages?

The group included some of the most well-known faces of the crisis:

Gali and Ziv Berman, 28-year-old twins kidnapped from Kfar Aza, reunited after being separated for two years.
Ariel and David Cunio, brothers taken from Nir Oz; both partners had been released earlier in the year.
Eitan and Iair Horn, who spent months together in Hamas tunnels before Iair’s earlier release.
Matan Zangauker, whose mother Einav became one of the most vocal advocates for hostage families.

All 20 appeared visibly thinner but walking under their own power—defying fears fueled by earlier Hamas propaganda videos showing emaciated captives in chains.

From Protest to Unity: Israel’s Emotional Whiplash

For months, Israel’s streets were split between pro-war factions and mass protests demanding a deal to bring the hostages home. Polls consistently showed a majority of Israelis prioritized hostage release over military objectives.

Now, with no living captives remaining in Gaza, that division has given way to shared relief. “This is not political—it’s human,” said Yael Cohen, a Tel Aviv teacher who joined the celebrations. “We’ve all been holding our breath for 730 days.”

Netanyahu and Trump Declare ‘Time for Peace’

Standing side by side in the Knesset, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump hailed the moment as historic. “The last two years have been a time of war,” Netanyahu said, quoting Ecclesiastes. “The coming years will hopefully be a time for peace—peace inside Israel and peace outside Israel.”

Trump, who brokered the final phase of the ceasefire deal, called it “the beginning of a new chapter” for the region. The exchange also included the return of four coffins containing the remains of deceased hostages, with 24 more still expected.

Does This Mark the End of the Gaza War?

Unlike previous temporary truces, this hostage homecoming is tied to an open-ended ceasefire—one that U.S. officials describe as “the end of active hostilities.”

Israel agreed to halt its military campaign in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. While Prime Minister Netanyahu insists Hamas must still be dismantled, the absence of living hostages removes a key justification for continued large-scale operations.

The Long Journey of Recovery Begins

For families like the Cunios and Bermans, the real work starts now: physical rehabilitation, psychological therapy, and reintegration into a society forever changed by trauma.

“From the moment of my release, I devoted everything I had to bringing my Ariel home,” said Arbel Yehud, Ariel Cunio’s partner, who was freed in January. “Now that he’s back, we can focus on our long journey of healing—together as a couple and as a family.”

Nationwide, mental health services are preparing for a surge in demand—not just from former captives, but from a population that lived with constant anxiety, loss, and uncertainty.

For one day, at least, Israel wasn’t divided by ideology or politics. It was simply a country welcoming its children home.