The terrorist movement Hamas has handed over the remaining thirteen living Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip, the Israeli military confirmed. Its convoy had previously transported seven previously released hostages to the Reim military base. All twenty hostages, who had been held in Gaza for 738 days, are now in the Jewish state. Hamas also handed over to the Red Cross the bodies of four hostages who died in captivity. The first buses carrying Palestinian prisoners have arrived in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and in Gaza.

The first to be released are Gali and Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Ejtan Mor and Guy Gilboa-Dallal, The Times of Israel reported, citing other Israeli media outlets. The group was handed over in Gaza City in the northern part of the Strip.

In the second phase, about three hours later, Bar Kuperstein, Evjatar David, Rom Breslavski, Josef Chaim Ohana, Segev Kalfon, Avinatan Or, Elkana Bohbot, Maxim Harkin, Nimrod Kohen, Matan Zanghauer, David and Ariel Cuni, and Ejtan Horn were released in the south of the Strip.

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Qatari television station Al Jazeera, citing its reporter, wrote that the hostages released in the first group were able to walk without assistance. The Times of Israel, citing an unnamed Red Cross official, wrote that the hostages released in the second group were in satisfactory condition.

Both groups were then escorted by soldiers to a military base in Israel, where the released met with relatives and underwent preliminary medical examinations. The first group was then airlifted to Israeli hospitals.

The news of the hostages' release was greeted with cheers and tears by tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in a square in Tel Aviv."The main emotion is temporary unification, the covering of all the trenches within Israeli society with shared joy," described ČT's Middle East correspondent David Borek.

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Handing over the bodies of the hostages

Hamas now holds no live hostages for the first time since 2014. On Monday evening, Hamas handed over two bodies of hostages, and later two more, out of a total of 28 that were in the Gaza Strip as of Monday. It says it does not know where all the others are buried, so their return may take longer.

The terrorists' statement was criticized by Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, who said that any delay would be considered a gross violation of the agreement and would be met with an appropriate response.

The agreement between the two sides envisages that within 72 hours of the partial withdrawal of the Israeli army, which took place on Friday, the bodies of all deceased hostages will be handed over to Israel. One of them is a soldier killed during one of the previous wars in 2014.

Source: CT24

Release of Palestinian prisoners

Buses carrying released Palestinian prisoners left a prison in southern Israel almost simultaneously with the handover of the remaining thirteen living Israelis. In exchange, the Jewish state released 250 life-sentenced Palestinians from its prisons and more than 1,700 who had been arrested in the Gaza Strip since the war began in October 2023, as part of the first phase of the peace plan.

The first buses have already arrived in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. In the administrative center of the Palestinian Authority, where the buses from Ofer prison in the occupied Palestinian territory were headed, the vehicles were greeted by cheering crowds and weeping crowds, including relatives. At least one bus also crossed the border into the Gaza Strip, the Hamas office said.

AP journalists saw several buses carrying Palestinians arrive at Nasir Hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern enclave, where they were greeted by huge crowds. Al Jazeera also reported that some of the released Palestinians were being transported to Khan Younis.

An unnamed Egyptian source said that 154 of the more than 1,900 Palestinians released by Israel were transferred to Egypt and will be transferred to third countries under the ceasefire agreement.

World reactions

The release of the hostages is a diplomatic success and a key milestone on the road to peace, according to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. But securing peace in Gaza will be very difficult, she added. According to her, the EU will on Wednesday resume the civilian mission EUBAM Rafah, which will monitor the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. The mission can play an important role in supporting the ceasefire, Kallas added.

The EUBAM Rafah mission was launched in November 2005 after Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, with the task of ensuring a third-party presence at the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt and building confidence between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the return of the hostages a moment of relief for the whole world and said Europe was ready to contribute to the success of the peace plan.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the first phase of the Middle East ceasefire on Monday needed to ensure lasting peace and a secure future for the entire region. He added that Britain was providing additional humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip and would work to speed up the reconstruction of the territory.

French President Emmanuel Macron later said that peace in Gaza, Israel and the entire region was possible, adding that he shared the joy of the hostages' families and the Israeli people.

“When peace is achieved in one part of the world, it brings greater hope for peace in other regions where life is still at risk,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X. “We are working to bring the day of peace to Ukraine as well. Russian aggression remains the last global source of destabilization. If a ceasefire and peace have been achieved for the Middle East, the leadership and determination of global actors can certainly work for us, in Ukraine, in Europe,” he added.

President Petr Pavel said that the return of the hostages to Israel is a significant step on the path to resuming dialogue. He praised Trump's personal engagement and the efforts of Egypt, Qatar and other countries that contributed to the result.

The release of the Israeli hostages is a crucial moment, according to Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS). He appreciated that Trump managed to negotiate a ceasefire, hand over the detainees and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. The Foreign Ministry welcomed the handover of the hostages, saying it is a milestone in the implementation of the peace agreement.

"Finally. After 738 days, the hostages are returning - including Germans," said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz."Even the murdered hostages must return home so that their families can say goodbye with dignity. This day is a beginning: the beginning of healing and a step on the path to peace in the Middle East," he added.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Monday was a historic day, calling the hostage release a success of international diplomacy and a new phase of the conflict, in which it will be necessary to consolidate the negotiated ceasefire and respect all points of the agreement between Israel and Hamas, with the aim of building lasting peace and stability.