Israel Reunites With 20 Living Hostages and Warmly Welcomes President Trump Who Made the Day Possible
October 13, 2025, was a day Israelis longed for but that happened against the odds. After significant deadlock, weekly protests and few hopeful signs that an agreement could be reached, 20 living hostages were released from Gaza and returned to their families on the eve of the holiday Simchat Torah, which became a day of tragedy two years ago.
Although Hamas didn’t keep its end of the deal and released just four bodies of deceased hostages, by the end of the day, Israelis could say for the first time in two years that no living Israelis were captives in Gaza. Scenes of hostages reuniting with their families were viewed repeatedly as US President Donald Trump, who, along with his administration officials, developed the 20-point plan for peace, arrived in Israel aboard Air Force One to meet the freed hostages and their loved ones before addressing the Knesset.
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Trump’s lengthy speech ran the gamut of topics, including Israel’s central role as a Middle East democracy and the possibilities for peace even with hostile countries like Iran. The president peppered his speech with familiar anecdotes and characteristic ribbing of his allies while ending on a note of hope and confidence in a region so often characterized by division and violence.
Mixed with joy was sadness as Israelis remembered those who were killed on Simchat Torah 2023, as well as the soldiers who fell during the war that followed. The release was tempered by disappointment and anger after Hamas returned only four of the 28 bodies promised under the ceasefire terms, a move Israeli officials condemned as a violation of the agreement.
From Jerusalem, President Trump traveled on to Egypt for a regional peace summit alongside President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, aimed at advancing the next stage of his ceasefire and postwar Gaza framework. While the war’s guns have fallen silent for now, the path ahead remains uncertain — including the question of Hamas’ disarmament and the governance of Gaza in the months to come.
For many Israelis, though, October 13 was above all a day of bittersweet closure — a moment of national unity, relief and prayer for peace after two years of anguish.
