‘Historic exchange’: all Israeli hostages freed as Gaza peace talks continue

Israel Palestinians Gaza

People wave Israeli flags and spray foam in celebration after the arrival of freed hostages at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, Israel, following their release from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Source: AP / Francisco Seco/AP

All 20 surviving Israeli hostages have been released from Hamas captivity in Gaza in a historic exchange as part of the first phase of a Gaza peace plan. And nearly 2000 Palestinians have also been freed from Israeli prisons, with the majority headed back to the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave. United States President Donald Trump has claimed the Israel-Hamas war is over, but negotiations are set to continue in Egypt with long-term peace still far from secure.


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