GAZA CITY, Palestine — In a dramatic turn as part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the final group of living Israeli hostages held in Gaza has been released — a moment that has brought both relief and lingering grief to families who endured years of uncertainty.
Under the terms of the truce, Hamas released 20 living hostages, while handing over the bodies of 28 deceased captives to Israel. The exchange, facilitated by the Red Cross, took place under tight security along demarcation lines between Gaza and Israel. <theguardian.com>
The handover, which took place on land and sea routes, was rife with emotion. Some hostages were visibly weak, malnourished, and emotionally fragile, yet greeted by tearful reunions with family members across the border.
One mother, struggling for words, collapsed in her son’s arms, overwhelmed by the sight of her long-absent child.
For many in Israel, the return marks the close of a painful chapter. Yet the release also underscored the heavier reality of war: dozens remain unaccounted for, and the psychological scars on survivors and families will linger.
The truce, which began several days earlier, stipulated several core steps: a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of Gaza; the release of hostages and counter-release of Palestinian prisoners; and expanded humanitarian access to the heavily embattled enclave.
Israel reaffirmed its right to re-enter if Hamas fails to honor disarmament clauses.
Still, analysts warn that the ceasefire’s durability is fragile. Key issues — how Gaza will be governed post-conflict, how reconstruction is managed, how power and security are structured — remain unresolved.
Israel has retained control over key crossings, airspace, and large swathes of Gaza territory, complicating sovereignty claims.
Among the released hostages, some spent years in captivity and now face physical and mental rehabilitation. Israel’s military said all who returned will receive medical attention, psychological counselling, and debriefing.
Yet, for many, the question is not just who was released, but who remains. Some hostages are still missing, and efforts to locate them continue amid tensions over transparency and accountability.
Meanwhile, families of the 28 deceased said they would push for full investigations into the circumstances of their deaths.
Humanitarian organisations have also emphasised that freedom is not enough without rebuilding. More than 90 P.c of Gaza’s buildings were damaged or destroyed in the conflict, and millions remain displaced, hungry, or in dire medical need.
Aid delivery has resumed but still faces access constraints and bottlenecks.
The ceasefire’s architects hope that the hostages’ release will provide a window for more substantive peace negotiations. Still, many observers note that symbolic breakthroughs do not substitute for structural solutions.
Unless governance, security, and reconstruction can be sustainably negotiated, the truce may not hold.
As the released hostages make their return journeys, the gaze of the world remains on Gaza, where ground must shift from captured bodies to rebuilding lives.
