The prisoner-to-hostage return was a key part of the Israel-Hamas war ceasefire now being marked by a visit to Israel and Egypt by US President Donald Trump.
Hamas has released all Israeli hostages into the custody of the Red Cross as part of a breakthrough ceasefire after two years of war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The hostages were released in two batches. Meanwhile,ย Israel is freeing more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees after Hamas freed all remaining living hostages held in Gaza under the two sides’ ceasefire deal.
The key exchange of hostages and prisoners follows a breakthrough ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump after two years of war. The release took place as the US President arrived in Israel. According to the White House, Trump watched the first moments of the hostage handover from aboard Air Force One en route to Tel Aviv. The White House called the development “history in the making.”
In the latest exchange, the prisoner-to-hostage ratio stands at roughly 100:1, with 1,900 Palestinian prisoners released for 20 Israeli hostages.
Here’s a comparison of major Israel-Palestine exchanges since 2006:
- Gilad Shalit deal (2006): 1,027:1
- 2023 Ceasefire exchange: 3:1
- January 2025 exchange: ~30:1
- Current deal (2025): ~100:1
Who are the 20 hostages?
As per the list published by Hamas, the following were the 20 hostages who were released by the Palestinian group on Monday:
- Bar Kupershtein
- Evyatar David
- Yosef-Chaim Ohana
- Segev Kalfon
- Avinatan Or
- Elkana Bohbot
- Maxim Herkin
- Nimrod Cohen
- Matan Zangauker
- David Cunio
- Eitan Horn
- Matan Angrest
- Eitan Mor
- Gali Berman
- Ziv Berman
- Omri Miran
- Alon Ohel
- Guy Gilboa-Dalal
- Rom Braslabski
- Ariel Konio
US-brokered peace deal
Earlier in the day, the US President had declared that the “war is over”, expressing hopes that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas would last. โI think itโs going to hold. There are many reasons why it will. People are tired of it, itโs been going on for centuries,โ Trump had said, while adding that it was “a special moment” for him.
“Everyone is celebrating together, which has never happened before. Usually, when one side celebrates, the other does not,โ the 79-year-old had said, calling the development โhistoricโ. โEveryone is amazed. We’re going to have an incredible time, and itโs going to be something the world has never seen before,”ย he added.
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