Newly freed Israeli hostages have been photographed hugging one another in joy following their release from 738 days in hellish captivity in Gaza.
Matan Angrest, 22, twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, 28; Alon Ohel, 24; Eitan Mor, 25; Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24; and Omri Miran, 48 were the first hostages to be handed over to the Red Cross this morning.
The group of seven was whisked away to a military base in Re'im, near Gaza, before they reunited with their families.
They were followed by a second group of 13 living hostages, who have also finally arrrived in Israel after more than two years in captivity.
The second group to return home included: Matan Zangauker, 25; Nimrod Cohen, 21; Ariel Cunio, 28; David Cunio, 35; Evyatar David, 24; Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25; Elkana Bohbot, 36; Avinatan Or, 32; Bar Kupershtein, 23; Segev Kalfon, 27; Rom Braslabski, 21; Eitan Horn, 38; and Maxim Herkin, 37.
The bodies of 28 deceased hostages will be handed over later, a Hamas official said, as a task force works to locate their missing remains.
The historic exchange is part of a Donald Trump-brokered deal between Israel and Hamas that aims to bring an end to the devastating two-year war.
The U.S. president arrived in Israel this morning, where he will soon deliver a historic speech to the Knesset before heading to Egypt for an international peace summit geared towards ending the war in Gaza.
Trump signed the Knesset guest book and wrote: 'It is a great honour for me. This is a beautiful day. A new beginning.'
Speaking to reporters earlier on Air Force One as he made his way to Israel, the president said: 'The war is over.'
'People are tired of it, it's been centuries, not just recent' he said. 'The ceasefire will hold, we're going to make sure it holds.'
Families and friends of the hostages broke out into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that their loved ones were being released.
Tens of thousands of Israelis were also watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv.
British-Israeli Emily Damari, freed from captivity last January, was seen watching her best friends Gali and Ziv being released in a private viewing session with close family and friends.
She was sat beside Romi Gonen who was held with her for much of their time in captivity.
Now the loved ones of the remaining 14 are waiting anxiously.
Dozens of friends of Evyatar David have been gathered together near Tel Aviv since 8am on Sunday and have not slept.
Yuval Ovadia, 24, student from Tel Aviv, told the Daily Mail: 'I have been here since 8am. It's such a stressful time, so having everyone together helps
'It's friends from all around - we met because of this situation.'
Guy Melamed, 24, student from Zippori, northern Israel, said: 'Some of us have been here since we heard the news at 8am yesterday. We knew it was happening in the next 24 hours so we said we need to meet up.
'We needed to be together to be here for each other. As much as you want to fall asleep, it's the anticipation. It's just too much - two years we have been waiting for this moment.
'It's very exciting.'
Evyatar was due for release last January but was instead cruelly forced to watch others released before being taken back into captivity.
Hamas then released horrifying footage of his starved body as he was forced to dig his own grave in a tunnel in Gaza.
Hamas confirmed this morning the names of the 20 remaining living hostages that will be released in return for over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Earlier today, the Red Cross said they were beginning the process of Hamas handing over the detainees.
'The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has 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,' they said in a statement.
The IDF announced Monday morning that the Red Cross is headed to a meeting point in Northern Gaza 'where several hostages will be transferred into their custody.'
They added that they're prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later on.
Hamas confirmed the names of the living hostages who will be returned and the over 1,700 Palestinian prisoners who will be freed.
After speaking to hostage families and addressing the Knesset, Trump will depart Israel for a peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh with leaders from more than 20 countries.
There, politicians will try and finalise an agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
A surge of humanitarian aid is expected to follow into famine-stricken Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are left homeless.
While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners mark a key step toward ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group.
Major Israeli TV stations are airing special overnight broadcasts ahead of the hostages' release as anticipation grew. People began to gather near a large screen in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv before dawn.
'It´s very exciting,' said Meir Kaller, who spent a sleepless night there.
The hostages' return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the October 2023 Hamas attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity.
Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release.
As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes, even as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire.
With the hostages´ release, the sense of urgency around the war for many Israelis will be effectively over.
Onboard Air Force One, Trump said he was hopeful the hostages may be released earlier than expected, but added: 'Getting them was amazing actually, because we were involved, and they were in places that you don't want to know about.'
He addressed reporters just before boarding the plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and spoke of the enormity of the deal.
'There are 500,000 people, yesterday and today, in Israel and also the Muslim and Arab countries are all cheering. Everybody's cheering at one time - that's never happened before,' he said.
'Usually, if you have one cheering, the other isn't - the other is the opposite. This is the first time everybody is amazed, and they're thrilled.
'It's an honor to be involved, and we're going to have an amazing time, and it's going to be something that's never, never happened before.'
He went on: 'Everybody is happy. Whether it’s Jewish or Muslim or the Arab countries, every country is dancing in the streets. It’s a point in time I don’t think you’d ever see again. They’ve never seen it for 3,000 years.'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday night that Monday marked 'the beginning of a new path'.
He told the relatives of the remaining hostages that their release was a 'historic event that some people did not believe would happen'.
Netanyahu added: 'Together we will continue to win, and with the help of God, together we will guarantee the eternity of the country and land of Israel.'
Special forces were on standby to intervene if mobs tried to attack them, while the Israel Defence Forces warned it would respond to any provocations or deviations from the plan.
After 738 days in captivity, the hostages are expected to be taken to the Re'im military base in southern Israel where medical teams can assess them before they met their families.
The most unwell are to be taken by helicopter to hospitals near Tel Aviv.
Sir Keir Starmer will also attend a peace summit in Egypt where he is expected to heap praise on Trump and the diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
Trump's motorcade will travel along the Route 1 Highway to Jerusalem where he was to give a historic address at the Knesset, Israel's parliament.
He will also meet families of released hostages before rushing back along the same route to Ben Gurion Airport and departing for a summit in Egypt to discuss the future of Gaza.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has announced that he will bestow the American leader with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour – the country's highest civilian honour.
Sir Keir is among world leaders due to attend as the world hopes the uneasy peace will hold.
He will say: 'We stand determined to seize this opportunity to deliver a lasting peace and a stable, secure future for the whole region ... the UK will support the next stage of talks to ensure the full implementation of the peace plan, so that people on both sides can rebuild their lives in safety and security.'
But Sir Keir will have bridges to build after Israel's deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel rejected Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson's claim that Britain had played a 'key role' in the ceasefire deal.
Ilan Dalal, the father of hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal, on Sunday night told Israeli media the first thing he will do on seeing his son is 'hug him, smell him and tell him that the nightmare is over'.
'I don't know what kind of son I'm going to get back, and I hope that he won't be so harmed that he can't rebuild his life,' he said.
Israel has said only once all the living are accounted for at Re'im will they 'switch on the engines' of the vehicles taking the first 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and terrorists to freedom.
Meanwhile, Israel's National Institute of Forensic Medicine is preparing to identify the remains of 28 hostages and determine their cause of death.
'We want to understand what happened to bring the families full information, closure and knowledge,' said Dr Chen Kugel.
During the last ceasefire, Hamas cruelly sent back the wrong body for one hostage.
The group is also pushing for the release of high-profile terrorists including Marwan Barghouti, despite Israel ruling it out.
They reportedly offered to free the hostages early if Mr Netanyahu agreed to give them Barghouti – but they were refused.
IDF chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir on Sunday declared 'victory' over Hamas as he praised military pressure and a 'complementary diplomatic move' for ending the war.
And defense minister Israel Katz said the IDF has now been instructed to demolish all remaining Hamas tunnels in Gaza.
The terror group has agreed to relinquish all control of the Gaza Strip, a source told the news agency AFP. But yesterday shocking images showed armed gangs engaged in firefights in Gaza City as Hamas reportedly executed rivals in the streets for collaborating with Israel.
At least 27 people were killed in clashes between Hamas and armed militia, the BBC reported on Sunday night.
The 20-point peace plan states that Israel should maintain an open-ended military presence inside Gaza along the border.
An international force, comprised largely of troops from Arab and Muslim countries, would be responsible for security inside the enclave.
The Israeli military will continue to operate defensively from the roughly 50 per cent of Gaza it still controls after pulling back to the agreed-upon lines.
There are no plans to send British troops to be part of the multinational force that will monitor the truce.
