‘We never gave up,’ say Israeli hostage families as Trump and world leaders sign Gaza ceasefire deal

Alice Cuddy

Reporting from Tel Aviv

• It’s been a momentous day, with scenes of celebration as Israel’s last surviving hostages returned home from Gaza after two years. Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees were released as part of the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan.

In Hostages Square, emotional crowds waved Israeli and US flags and photos of the hostages as they watched their return, in what several described to the BBC as a moment of national unity.

There was anger and confusion later on, when Hamas returned only four bodies – leaving 24 deceased hostages in Gaza.

In Gaza and the occupied West Bank, there were tears and screams of joy as hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees were freed.

The release involved about 250 prisoners who had been convicted of crimes including murder and deadly attacks against Israelis – and about 1,700 detainees from Gaza who had been held by Israel without charge.

US President Donald Trump hailed it as a “tremendous day” for the Middle East as he visited Israel, followed by a trip to Egypt, where regional leaders signed a document to cement his ceasefire deal.

But questions linger about what happens next and whether or not the plan really will be a path to lasting peace.

Here in Hostages Square, a clock keeping count of the amount of days the hostages have been in Gaza – which many hoped would be switched off today – is still ticking.

Today saw 20 living hostages still in Gaza released and almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees freed.

Here’s how it played out:

A complicated process: The release of Israeli hostages took place in stages. They were released in two groups – one group of seven, and a group of thirteen. They were first handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) by Hamas in Gaza. They were then met by IDF troops who escorted them back to Israel.

Relief and joy: There were tears and cheers in Hostages Square to the news that the hostages were on their way home. Avinatan Or was reunited with his partner, and former hostage, Noa Argamani. Lishay Miran saw her husband for the first time since he was driven away by Hamas gunmen in his own car.

Some were not returned: Hamas announced shortly after it handed over the living hostages, that only four deceased hostages remains would be returned to Israel today. Though the Israeli defence minister condemned Hamas’ “failure” to meet its commitments, the four coffins were transported back to Israel

Detainees released: 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 detainees from Gaza were released today. One mother, on seeing her son again in Gaza, simply said: “thank god he is okay”.

Huge crowds in Gaza: Buses of Palestinians were first seen arriving in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank this morning, where huge crowds and visibly emotional relatives were there to greet them. A little later in the day, released Palestinians arrived in Khan Younis, in Gaza.

Some were not reunited: In Gaza, the scene was one of stark contrast: those reuniting with family members and those learning their loved ones had been deported to the Gaza Strip and Egypt. one woman waiting for her brother says “I waited until the last prisoner got off the bus, but I didn’t see him”.

We’ll shortly be bringing our live coverage to an end, but before we go we have one final post from BBC’s Alice Cuddy reporting from Tel Aviv.

In the meantime, you can catch up with the latest coverage across the BBC: