Tel Aviv's "hostages square" erupted in emotion on Monday as 20 Israeli hostages released from Gaza arrived by helicopter, greeted by tens of thousands of cheering onlookers. Military helicopters swept in from the direction of Gaza, with one circling the crowd and tilting in what appeared to be a salute. At its door, a figure made a heart shape with his hands.
The release came as part of a deal that also saw hundreds of Palestinian prisoners freed, and was hailed by US President Donald Trump as a victory. Among those released were six of seven hostages taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October 2023; the seventh, Aryeh Zalmanowitz, 85, died in captivity. Ayelet Lantzer, 63, who grew up in Nir Oz and helped organise the permanent protest encampment in the square, recalled a time when Israelis and Palestinians had closer ties. "We used to go to Gaza to eat hummus, and we went to the beach," she said.
The day began with Hamas publishing the names of the 20 intended releases. Families waited at the Re'im military base near Gaza for reunions, and footage on two big screens showed tearful embraces. Some hostages were even allowed to make video calls to relatives. Julie Kupershtein, mother of Bar Kupershtein, a paramedic taken from the Nova music festival, described the shock: "Suddenly I had a conversation, suddenly I saw Bar. I screamed to the sky. I'm shaking all over."
The release marks a potential turning point in a war that began with Hamas's 7 October attack, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Since Israel's military response, an estimated 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, most of them civilians, according to sources cited in the report. A UN commission has found that Israel committed genocide in Gaza. As the helicopters touched down, the overwhelming sentiment was relief, though few on the square had answers about what comes next.
Trump insisted the war was over, but for many the future remains uncertain. Lantzer said she hoped for peace, but added: "This neighbourhood is not so much friendly." The return of the hostages closed a horrifying chapter, yet the question of lasting peace with Palestine remains unresolved.
