All 20 living hostages returned to Israel

First 7 hostages returned to Israel reunited with their families as remaining 13 living captives handed over in good condition to IDF.

By World Israel News Staff

All 20 living Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip were returned to Israel Monday morning, after 738 days in captivity.

Seven hostages were transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross at approximately 8:40 a.m., after which they were driven to the Israeli frontier where IDF officers and Shin Bet agents received them.

From there, the seven hostages were transported to a forward base near Kibbutz Re’im where they underwent preliminary medical examinations before meeting with their families.

The first seven hostages to be released included Eitan Mor, Alon Ahel, Ziv Berman and his twin brother Gali Berman, Guy Galboa-Dalal, Omri Miran, and Matan Angerst.

At approximately 10:00 a.m., Red Cross workers received the second group of hostages, including the 13 last surviving captives.

They include Bar Kupershtein, 23, Evyatar David, 24, Yosef Chaim Ohana, 25, Segev Kalfon, 27, Avinatan Or, 32, Elkana Bohbot, 36, Maxim Herkin, 37, Nimrod Cohen, 21, Matan Zanguaker, David Cunio, 35, Eitan Horn, 38, Rom Braslabski, 21, and Ariel Cunio, 28.

The last 13 living hostages were handed over to the IDF and Shin Bet security agency at the Israeli border, an army spokesperson confirmed.

The families of the first seven hostages released on Monday reunited with the former captives as the second group of hostages was transported to Israel.

“Our Eitan returned to us thanks to the commanders and soldiers of the IDF and the other security forces, our heroes who went out to destroy the enemy with self-sacrifice,” said the parents of Eitan Mor, a 25-year-old resident of Kiryat Arba, who was among the first seven hostages returned to Israel on Monday.

“We want to thank them and give a strong embrace to the bereaved families, the widows, the orphans, and the wounded — only thanks to your sacrifice are we able to embrace Eitan today.”

Hamas has said that it has returned all of the living hostages and will later hand over the bodies of slain hostages it has managed to locate.

Two hostages whose fate was unknown, Bipin Joshi and Tamir Nimrodi, were not included in the hostage return Monday, nor were their names included in the list of living hostages provided by Hamas, suggesting that the two died in captivity.