Jerusalem: Hamas has released seven Israeli captives into the custody of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Monday, marking the start of the first phase of a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
Cheers erupted across Israel as television networks confirmed that the captives were safely in Red Cross custody. The group will undergo medical checks, showers, and clothing changes at the Israeli military base of Re’im before reuniting with their families and being transferred to hospitals for further care, according to the DPA news agency.
Under the terms of the deal, Hamas is to release a total of 20 living Israeli captives in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom are being held without charge. Officials told Reuters that all Palestinian prisoners due for release have already boarded buses at Israeli prisons.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the remaining 13 captives will be freed at 07:00 GMT in the central Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Israel confirmed that it is also preparing to receive the bodies of 28 captives who died in Hamas captivity.
מחר ישובו בנים לגבולם.
מחר זו תחילתה של דרך חדשה.
דרך של בנייה, דרך של ריפוי, ואני מקווה – דרך של איחוד לבבות. pic.twitter.com/BepFQzpHTB— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 12, 2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hoped that the release would unite the country. However, some families of captives have criticised Netanyahu, accusing him of focusing more on military objectives than on securing their relatives’ release.
The exchange follows the Israeli government’s approval of a Trump-brokered ceasefire plan last week. US President Donald Trump, who spearheaded the agreement, arrived in Israel on Monday as part of a broader Middle East tour that includes a summit in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh.
“This is going to be a very special time,” Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One in Washington, accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
We have started a multi-phase operation to facilitate the release and transfer of hostages and detainees as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
More details here: https://t.co/IE7zX7zlM1 pic.twitter.com/dbdEHsg8iq
— ICRC in Israel & OT (@ICRC_ilot) October 13, 2025
Trump said the release might happen early and credited Qatar for its role in mediating the truce. As part of the ceasefire, Israeli forces have pulled back from parts of Gaza, including Gaza City and several northern districts, though they still control over half of the enclave. Palestinians returning to their homes have found widespread devastation, with many areas reduced to rubble.
The Sharm el-Sheikh summit, co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, is expected to bring together more than 20 world leaders, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Egypt said that the document ending the war in the Gaza Strip is expected to be signed during the summit.
Iranian officials, however, have declined to attend, citing recent US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. While the first phase of the deal is underway, the next steps remain uncertain. The second phase is expected to include a gradual Israeli withdrawal, Hamas’s disarmament, and the establishment of new governance and security arrangements for Gaza.
