TEL AVIV, Israel – In moments that will forever be etched in the hearts of families across Israel, 20 freed hostages stepped back onto home soil on Monday, ending a painful chapter that has gripped the nation for over two years. Wrapped in the blue and white of their homeland’s flag, the returning captives were met with scenes of pure joy as they reunited with loved ones who never stopped believing in this day.
The military helicopters that carried them home landed to a chorus of cheers, tears, and overwhelming relief. After 736 days of uncertainty, families who had counted every sunrise finally embraced their children, siblings, and partners once again.
Perhaps no moment captured the raw emotion of the day better than Einav Zangauker’s reunion with her son Matan. In video released by the Israeli military, her voice trembled with pure love as she held him tight: “My life, you are my life… you are a hero. Love of your mother, bless you, bless you, my dear.”
Nearby, Eitan Mor’s parents clung to their son as if afraid to let go, their relief echoing through tears that spoke of two years of sleepless nights and unwavering hope.
The returning hostages, though visibly moved by their homecoming, showed remarkable spirits. Bar Kuperstein and Yosef Haim Ohana waved cheerfully from van windows as they traveled to Sheba medical center near Tel Aviv, greeted by crowds of well-wishers who had waited so long for this moment.
Adding a touch of normalcy to the extraordinary day, freed Israeli-German twins Gali and Ziv Berman appeared in the yellow and blue jerseys of their beloved Maccabi Tel Aviv football team, smiling and giving thumbs-up signs—a reminder that beneath the headlines were young people eager to return to the simple joys of life.
In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square—a place that has become synonymous with hope and determination—hundreds gathered at sunrise Monday, many carrying photographs and yellow ribbons that have become symbols of an unbreakable promise: we will not forget.
“It’s so exciting and overwhelming that it’s finally happening,” said Shelly Bar Nir, 34, her voice thick with emotion. “What we’ve been fighting for, for over two years—finally our hostages are coming home.”
For Noga, who has worn a small badge counting the days of captivity since October 7, 2023, the moment was bittersweet. “I’m torn between emotion and sadness for those who won’t be coming back,” she shared, her “Last day” badge finally relevant after 736 days of hoping.
The yellow ribbons that adorned everything from car door handles to baby strollers across Israel have become more than symbols—they represent a nation’s commitment to never abandon hope. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which has been the voice of these families throughout their darkest hours, had called people to gather with these ribbons one more time.
When news broke that the first seven hostages had been released, then later all 20, Hostages Square erupted in a symphony of cheers, songs, and tears of joy. Israel’s confirmation posts on social media were beautifully simple: “Welcome home.”
Of the 251 people taken on that devastating 7 October 2023 morning, many had been returned in earlier truces. Monday marked the homecoming of the final 20 living hostages, though the families’ forum acknowledged that their work continues for those who didn’t survive to see this day.
“Our struggle is not over. It will not end until the last hostage is located and returned for proper burial,” they stated with the same determination that has carried them through 736 days of advocacy. “Only then will the people of Israel be whole.”
As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel will release nearly 2,000 prisoners from its jails, most of them Gazans detained since the conflict began – a complex exchange that offers hope for broader peace.
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