Families celebrated on Monday, Oct. 13, as Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages under the Gaza ceasefire deal. Hamas is yet to release the remains of all the dead hostages despite being required to do so under the deal that would bring some closure to the national trauma that began when the terror group took 251 hostages back to Gaza after massacring some 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023.

The first seven living hostages were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza City, in the strip’s north, at about 8 a.m. and transferred to Israeli forces inside Gaza about an hour later. The next 13 were handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, in the Strip’s south, shortly before 11 a.m. and transferred to Israeli forces about an hour later. All 20 returned pale and frail, but smiling and standing, after most of them were held in horrific conditions in tunnels deep under Gaza, where many faced abuse, starvation and limited medical treatment.

Each hostage was taken to the Re’im border facility, where they were reunited with their families in emotional scenes. They were then flown on a military chopper to hospitals in central Israel, where they underwent treatment and rehabilitation.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Hostage Square to celebrate the release, waving Israeli flags, singing and dancing. Thousands more lined the streets, others gathered at the three hospitals where the freed hostages were brought.

In exchange for the 20 hostages, Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 terror convicts serving life sentences.