Tel Aviv / Gaza – October 12, 2025 — Hamas has handed over seven Israeli captives to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), marking the start of a landmark ceasefire deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza.

Celebrations erupted in Israel as television networks confirmed the release. The army later identified the freed captives as Matan Angrest, Gali and Ziv Berman, Alon Ohel, Eitan Mor, Omri Miran, and Guy Gilboa Dalal. They were escorted back to Israel for medical checks before reuniting with their families.

Under the agreement, Hamas is expected to release 20 living Israeli captives in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, many held without charge. Once Israel verifies that all captives have returned, the mass prisoner release will begin.

Thousands of Palestinians gathered near Gaza’s Nasser Hospital to welcome the freed detainees, where medical teams were on standby. Israel, meanwhile, is preparing to receive the bodies of 28 captives confirmed to have died in captivity.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the handover “an emotional evening” and said the deal marked “the beginning of a new path — one of rebuilding and healing.”

The ceasefire, brokered by US President Donald Trump and Qatar, comes after months of fighting that left much of Gaza in ruins. Trump, who arrived in Israel ahead of a summit in Egypt, called the exchange “a very special moment,” crediting Qatar’s role in the mediation.

As part of the deal, Israeli forces have withdrawn from parts of northern Gaza. Palestinians returning home have found widespread destruction, while limited humanitarian aid has begun to enter the enclave.

On Monday, Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi are set to co-chair a major peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, joined by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and other world leaders. The summit is expected to produce a document formally ending the Gaza war and outlining postwar reconstruction plans.

Despite the breakthrough, diplomats caution that the hardest work — defining Gaza’s future governance and ensuring long-term stability — still lies ahead.