‘Our hearts waiting for you to come home’: Israel hails deal with Hamas for hostage release

Israel has welcomed its deal with Hamas over the Gaza ceasefire, under which all the hostages will be freed. Israelis and Palestinians alike rejoiced on Thursday after US President Donald Trump announced that both the warring parties reached a deal during indirect negotiations in Egypt.

“More than two years in Hamas captivity - two years of pain, hope & prayers. Now, with an agreement secured, our hearts are waiting for them to come home. All of them,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on X.

More than two years in Hamas captivity - two years of pain, hope & prayers.

Now, with an agreement secured, our hearts are waiting for them to come home. All of them 💛🎗️ pic.twitter.com/jNcSZcsL2z

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) October 9, 2025

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How many hostages are there?

There are still 48 hostages being held, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Most of those freed so far were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners during two ceasefires, one in November 2023 and a second in early 2025. Others have been rescued by Israeli forces during the course of the war.

Israeli forces have retrieved fifty-nine bodies of hostages, either killed before they were taken to Gaza or died in captivity, killed by their captors or in Israeli strikes.

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Israel-Hamas peace deal

Israeli hostages may be released as early as Saturday under a US plan to end the war in Gaza, and the country’s military will complete the first part of a partial withdrawal from the enclave within 24 hours of the deal being signed, a source told Reuters.

Israelis and Palestinians rejoiced after Trump announced that a ceasefire and hostage deal was reached under the first phase of his plan to end a war in Gaza that has killed more than 67,000 people and reshaped the Middle East.

The accord, if fully implemented, would bring the two sides closer than any previous effort to halt a war that had evolved into a regional conflict, drawing in countries such as Iran, Yemen and Lebanon.

With inputs from agencies