{"id":90014,"date":"2025-10-13T04:55:30","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T09:55:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=90014"},"modified":"2025-10-13T04:55:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T09:55:30","slug":"israel-redeems-all-20-living-hamas-captives-as-part-of-trump-peace-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/israel-redeems-all-20-living-hamas-captives-as-part-of-trump-peace-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel redeems all 20 living Hamas captives as part of Trump peace plan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By CHARLES BYBELEZER and ANIKA VAN KONINGSVELD<\/p>\n<p>(<em>JNS.org<\/em><span class=\"light-weight-content\">) \u2013&nbsp;<\/span>Israel on Monday morning saw the return of all 20 living hostages from Gaza, two years after their kidnapping by Hamas during the Palestinian terrorist group\u2019s Oct. 7, 2023 massacre. Their return is part of the first phase of U.S. President&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jns.org\/israel-prepares-grand-welcome-for-trumps-arrival\/\">Donald Trump<\/a>\u2018s plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n<p>The hostages were released in two waves, the first comprising Matan Angrest, twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor and Alon Ohel.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_90015\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/F251013CG01-1320x880-1.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-90015\" class=\"wp-image-90015 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/F251013CG01-1320x880-1-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/F251013CG01-1320x880-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/F251013CG01-1320x880-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/F251013CG01-1320x880-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/F251013CG01-1320x880-1.jpg 1320w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-90015\" class=\"wp-image-90015 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/F251013CG01-1320x880-1-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/F251013CG01-1320x880-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/F251013CG01-1320x880-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/F251013CG01-1320x880-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/F251013CG01-1320x880-1.jpg 1320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-90015\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A man looks at pictures of released hostages on his phone before the arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump at Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Oct. 13, 2025. Photo by Chaim Goldberg\/Flash90.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The seven, accompanied by Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency officers, crossed into Israel at around 9:30 local time, according to the IDF.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur beloved Eitan, how long we have waited for you, how long we have waited to finally see you after two years. The last time we saw you was today two years ago, on the Hoshana Rabbah [holiday], and today we embrace you once again,\u201d said Eitan\u2019s parents, Tzvika and Efrat Mor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur Eitan has come back to us thanks to the commanders and soldiers of the IDF and other security forces, our heroes who went out with self-sacrifice to destroy the enemy,\u201d they continued, thanking the government and people of Israel, as well as Trump.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hours after the initial release, an additional batch of 13 Israeli captives was handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second batch included Elkana Bohbot, Rom Braslavski, Nimrod Cohen, brothers David and Ariel Cuneo, Evyatar David, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Segev Kalfon, Bar Kupershtein, Yosef-Haim Ohana, Avinatan Or and Matan Zangauker.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s official: There are no more living Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity,\u201d the IDF wrote in a social media post upon their return.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Israeli Prime Minister\u2019s Office said that all government agencies would continue to accompany the freed hostages and their families \u201cthroughout the entire process of reception and rehabilitation.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_90016\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0030-1320x880-1.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-90016\" class=\"wp-image-90016 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0030-1320x880-1-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0030-1320x880-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0030-1320x880-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0030-1320x880-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0030-1320x880-1.jpg 1320w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-90016\" class=\"wp-image-90016 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0030-1320x880-1-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0030-1320x880-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0030-1320x880-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0030-1320x880-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG-20251013-WA0030-1320x880-1.jpg 1320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-90016\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former Hamas hostage Eitan Mor is reunited with his parents at the Re\u2019im military base in southern Israel, Oct. 13, 2025. Credit: Tikva Forum of Hostages\u2019 Families.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Israeli President Isaac Herzog tweeted, \u201cAnd the children shall return to their own borders,\u201d citing from the Book of Jeremiah.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith thanks to God we welcome our loved ones home. We are waiting for everyone \u2014 every last one,\u201d the Israeli head of state added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The hostages were received by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which transferred them to the IDF inside Gaza. There, military medical teams carried out initial examinations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If their condition permitted it, the freed hostages traveled in an IDF convoy to the Re\u2019im military base, where their families were waiting. The base had been prepared with 20 private rooms designated for reunions and thorough medical assessments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir led \u201cOperation Returning Home\u201d from the Military Intelligence Directorate\u2019s Headquarters of the Hostages and Missing Persons on Monday morning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is a very significant day; we are succeeding in implementing a main part of the war\u2019s defined objectives,\u201d Zamir told commanders and soldiers as the operation got underway, according to an IDF readout.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAfter two years of one of the hardest wars we have known, this event is concluded, but not yet complete, and we are closely monitoring the situation in the field,\u201d he added. \u201cThe IDF will not cease for a moment in carrying out this sacred mission, until the return of the last hostage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, included a personal note to the returning hostages in a reception kit prepared for them, the Prime Minister\u2019s Office said on Monday morning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The kit contains clothing and personal items, as well as a laptop, cellphone and tablet to assist the freed hostages in reintegrating, according to the PMO.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_90017\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PMNote13October2.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-90017\" class=\"wp-image-90017 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PMNote13October2-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PMNote13October2-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PMNote13October2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PMNote13October2.jpg 936w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 225px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 225\/300;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-90017\" class=\"wp-image-90017 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PMNote13October2-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PMNote13October2-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PMNote13October2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PMNote13October2.jpg 936w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-90017\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A handwritten note from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, for hostages returning from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, Oct. 13, 2025. (Credit: Prime Minister\u2019s Office)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The handwritten note from the Netanyahus reads: \u201cOn behalf of the entire Israeli people, welcome back! We waited for you and embrace you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following the reunion at Re\u2019im, the hostages are to be flown to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jns.org\/how-beilinson-hospital-will-receive-freed-hostages\/\">hospitals&nbsp;<\/a>across the country, which have already cleared dedicated departments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jns.org\/these-are-some-of-the-killers-israel-will-release\/\">Palestinian prisoners<\/a>&nbsp;set for release boarded buses outside Israeli jails. They departed for the border crossings after all surviving hostages were confirmed to be safely in Israeli hands.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jerusalem agreed to release 1,950 Palestinian security prisoners, including 250 who are serving life sentences for deadly attacks, as well as 1,700 Palestinians arrested since Oct. 7, 2023.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the freed hostages arrived in Israel, the Red Cross convoy was expected to return to Gaza to recover the bodies of the 28 deceased.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The bodies will be draped in Israeli flags and transported to Re\u2019im, where they will be greeted by an honor guard and a prayer led by a military rabbi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Israel\u2019s Ministry of Religious Services is prepared to then receive the remains at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir in Tel Aviv for final examination.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ministry\u2019s director-general, Yehudah Avidan, said Sunday that the institute holds intelligence files on each of the fallen to help expedite their identification.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Avidan told&nbsp;<em>Reshet Bet<\/em>&nbsp;that most of the 28 murdered hostages have already been declared dead by a special committee led by the Chief Rabbinate, allowing widows to remarry in accordance with Jewish law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s no chance of error,\u201d he stressed, explaining that the committee acted solely on solid evidence provided by Israeli intelligence agencies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noting that some families already observed the seven-day mourning period known as&nbsp;<em>shivah<\/em>, Avidan said that the Religious Services Ministry would assist the families in holding a \u201cnew funeral.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jerusalem \u201cis committed to bringing back all the hostages held by the enemy and will act to achieve this mission with determination and tireless effort,\u201d said the PMO.<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"Tumblr\",\"Email\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"medium\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"Israel%20redeems%20all%2020%20living%20Hamas%20captives%20as%20part%20of%20Trump%20peace%20plan\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":90015,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[208,1781,6630,8790,8795,8788],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90014"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90014"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90014\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90018,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90014\/revisions\/90018"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}