The Daily Populous Monday October 13rd, 2025 evening edition
Authored by news.sky.com and submitted by Superbuddhapunk

Hamas has handed over all 20 surviving hostages being held in Gaza - with President Trump heralding the moment as the "historic dawn of a new Middle East".

The remaining Israelis were exchanged for over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners after being held in the tunnels of Gaza for more than two years.

Hamas initially handed over seven hostages to the Red Cross, before releasing the other 13 for emotional reunions with their families.

They were then flown to a special "homecoming" hospital where they will be allowed to recover in private.

Image: Twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman embraced after their release. Pic: IDF

Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the moment the hostages were finally freed at public screenings across the country.

Families and friends cheered as TV channels announced the hostages were safely in the hands of the Red Cross.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:40 Mother speaks to son released in hostage deal

The 20 released are all men aged between 20 and 48, some taken from their homes and others from the Nova music festival during the October 2023 terror attack.

Israel previously said 20 of the 251 kidnapped were thought to still be alive in Gaza - as well as the remains of 28 who died.

Coffins of two of the dead have been released to the Red Cross - with two more to follow, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Monday evening. All of the deceased must be handed over under the terms of the agreement.

Other hostages had been released as part of previous short-lived deals.

Image: Israeli hostage Omri Miran was reunited with wife Lishay Miran-Lav. Pic: IDF

Image: A Palestinian prisoner was carried aloft in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Pic: AP

As part of the first phase of Donald Trump's ceasefire agreement, Hamas was given 72 hours to release all the hostages, alive and dead.

The ceasefire started on Friday, with tens of thousands of Palestinians walking many miles back to northern Gaza.

Drone footage has revealed the destruction wrought by two years of Israeli attacks, with neighbourhoods flattened and countless buildings turned to rubble.

Inside rooms where hostages will spend first nights of freedom

Songs of celebration in Tel Aviv as crowds greet hostages

UK played 'vital role' in Gaza peace deal, says Trump aide

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Hamas released a list of the 20 living hostages it has freed. Tap on their pictures to read more about them:

Israel confirmed it had released more than 1,900 Palestinians; the number was expected to include 250 serving life sentences as well as 1,700 Gazans detained since the start of the war.

Crowds gathered in the West Bank and Gaza, cheering as buses of prisoners arrived home.

Image: Freed Palestinian prisoners arrived in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. Pic: Reuters

Image: Crowds turned out at Gaza's Nasser hospital to welcome freed prisoners. Pic: Reuters

More than 150 of the prisoners were sent to Egypt and arrived at the Rafah crossing early Monday afternoon, according to an Egyptian official.

A second phase of the plan, which all sides have yet to agree on, could see Israeli troops further withdrawing from Gaza.

Questions over the future governance of the Strip and the disarmament of Hamas are expected to prove difficult to resolve.

Mr Trump arrived in Israel on Monday on Air Force One, receiving a hero's welcome for getting the deal done.

He got a rapturous welcome and multiple standing ovations as he addressed Israel's parliament, though at one point two hecklers from left-wing parties were ejected after they loudly interrupted his speech.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was the country's greatest friend and would be awarded Israel's highest honour.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:10 Trump addresses Knesset: Key moments

"This is a historic dawn of a new Middle East," Mr Trump told the Knesset.

"Generations from now this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change, and change very much for the better."

He told Palestinians they should focus on "building their people up" instead of attacking Israel.

Mr Trump also used his speech to urge Israel's president to pardon Mr Netanyahu, a controversial figure for some Israelis who is currently on trial for alleged corruption.

Image: Mr Trump met President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi ahead of a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Pic: Reuters

The president is now in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt to discuss his 20-point deal and its post-war plans with other world leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron.

He began the summit with a meeting with Egypt's President el-Sisi and praised his help in getting Hamas signed up to the deal.

The war began when Hamas stormed into Israel on October 7 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.

Israel invaded Gaza in retaliation, with airstrikes and ground assaults devastating much of the enclave and killing more than 67,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants but it says around half of those killed were women and children.

amy_sport on October 13rd, 2025 at 08:00 UTC »

13 remaining Israeli hostages released too and are now with the Red Cross. critical step forward amid tense negotiations.Fingers-crossed

OtsaNeSword on October 13rd, 2025 at 05:40 UTC »

Awesome news!

13 more living hostages to go + 30 deceased hostages.

StraightZlat on October 13rd, 2025 at 05:40 UTC »

So happy for them and their families 🫶🏼