Truce brings joy as Israelis and Palestinians are freed

Final 20 living hostages are released after two years of Hamas captivity. Large crowds in Gaza rejoice as nearly 2,000 detainees also go free. Trump hails historic end to Middle East's 'long, painful nightmare'

- Julian Borger Seham Tantesh Gaza Daniel Boffey Jerusalem

There was a rare moment of joy among both Israelis and Palestinians yesterday as Hamas released the remaining 20 living hostages in Gaza in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, on a day world leaders met in Egypt in an attempt to ensure the current limited truce is extended into a durable peace.

Addressing the summit, Egypt's president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, called for the ceasefire in Gaza to usher in a new era in the Middle East. “Let the Gaza war be the last of wars in the region,” the president said amid widespread anxiety over how long the truce would last.

In Tel Aviv, an estimated 65,000 Israelis gathered in “hostages square” and cheered when a military helicopter carrying the 20 freed captives flew over the crowd on the way to a nearby hospital. Live footage of their release and their family reunions was broadcast on large screens.

The plaza has been the centre of the national campaign for their release since 250 Israelis were abducted on 7 October 2023 in the surprise Hamas attack on southern Israeli communities that killed 1,200 people and ignited the current conflict.

Over the course of yesterday, a large crowd massed in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza to celebrate the return of nearly 1,700 Palestinians detained during the war, while the West Bank capital of Ramallah welcomed the arrival of 88 Palestinian detainees who had been serving life sentences imposed by Israeli courts. At least one had been imprisoned for 24 years. About 160 more were deported through Egypt after their release.

The ceasefire appeared to be holding in Gaza yesterday after a two-year Israeli military onslaught that has killed nearly 68,000 people.