Living hostages and Palestinian prisoners are released as part of
ceasefire in Gaza
[October 13, 2025]
By WAFAA SHURAFA, SAMY MAGDY and MELANIE LIDMAN
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas released all 20 remaining living
hostages held in Gaza on Monday, while Israel began releasing hundreds
of Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war
that pummeled the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians,
and had left scores of captives in militant hands.
The hostages, all men, arrived back in Israel, where they will reunite
with their families and undergo medical checks. The bodies of the
remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part
of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear.
Buses carrying dozens of freed Palestinian prisoners arrived in the West
Bank city of Ramallah and in the Gaza Strip, as Israel began releasing
more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire deal.
Cheering crowds met the buses arriving in Ramallah from Ofer prison, in
the Israel-occupied West Bank. At least one bus also crossed into the
Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Prisoners Office said.
While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the
exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest
war ever between Israel and the militant group.
The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of
humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in the region, where he plans to
discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans with other leaders.
The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on
southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly
civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage.
In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been
killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate
between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were
women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government,
and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the
most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.
The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously
made inaccessible by fighting.
The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90% of
its some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in
the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of
genocide that Israel denies.
“Much of Gaza is a wasteland,” U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told
the AP on Sunday.
Hostages freed
In Tel Aviv, families and friends of the hostages who gathered in a
square broke into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced
that the first group of hostages was in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens
of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings
across the country.
Israel released the first photos of the freed hostages, including one
showing 28-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman embracing as they were
reunited. Hostages previously released had said the twins from Kfar Aza
were held separately.
The photos of the first seven hostages showed them looking pale but less
gaunt than some of the hostages freed in January.
Earlier, while Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners
held by Israel, an armored vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas
and rubber bullets at a crowd. As drones buzzed overhead, the group
scattered.
The tear gas followed the circulation of a flier warning that anyone
supporting what it called “terrorist organizations” risked arrest.
Israel’s military did not respond to questions about the flier, which
The Associated Press obtained on site.
The prisoners being released include 250 people serving life sentences
for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from
Gaza during the war and held without charge. They will be returned to
the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile.
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People react as they gather to watch a live broadcast of Israeli
hostages released from Gaza at a plaza known as hostages square in
Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
A painful chapter
The hostages' return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they
were captured in the attack that ignited the war, newscasts have
marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins
and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their
families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release.
As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes, even as he
accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under heavy international
pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies
agreed to the ceasefire.
It remains unclear when the remains of 28 dead hostages will be
returned. An international task force will work to locate deceased
hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch,
Israel’s coordinator for the hostages and the missing.
Trump in Israel and Egypt
Trump arrived Monday in Israel, where he was to speak at the
Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Vice President JD Vance said Trump was
likely to meet with newly freed hostages.
“The war is over,” Trump told to reporters as he departed — even
though his ceasefire deal leaves many unanswered questions about the
future of Hamas and Gaza.
Among the most thorny is Israel’s insistence that a weakened Hamas
disarm. Hamas refuses to do that and wants to ensure Israel pulls
its troops completely out of Gaza.
So far, the Israeli military has withdrawn from much of Gaza City,
the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in
most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gaza’s far north, and
the wide strip along the length of Gaza’s border with Israel.
The future governance of Gaza also remains unclear. Under the U.S.
plan, an international body will govern the territory, overseeing
Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said
Gaza’s government should be worked out among Palestinians.
Later Monday, Trump will head to Egypt, where he and Egyptian
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit with leaders from
more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle
East.
Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian
Authority, will attend, according to a judge and adviser to Abbas,
Mahmoud al-Habbash.
Egypt’s presidency said Netanyahu would attend as well, but the
Israel leader's office later said he would not because due to a
Jewish holiday.
The plan envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority —
something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority,
which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping
reform program that could take years.
The plan also calls for an Arab-led international security force in
Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It
said Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About
200 U.S. troops are now in Israel to monitor the ceasefire.
The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian
state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu.
___
Magdy reported from Cairo and Lidman from Jerusalem. Associated
Press writers Josef Federman in Truro, Massachusetts; Bassem Mroue
in Beirut; Jalal Bwaitel in Ramallah, West Bank, and Sam Mednick in
Tel Aviv, Israel contributed to this report.
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