Emotional reunions unfold in Israel and Gaza as families welcome freed hostages after more than 700 days in captivity.
BY PC Bureau
October 13, 2025 :US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel on Monday as the Gaza ceasefire held for the fourth consecutive day, bringing moments of relief and emotional reunions on both sides. In Israel, families embraced hostages returning home after more than 700 days in captivity, while in Gaza, freed Palestinian prisoners were welcomed by cheering crowds.
Trump will co-chair the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, where more than 20 world leaders are gathering to “end the war in Gaza and usher in a new era of regional stability,” according to Egyptian officials.
India is being represented by Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh, joining leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Notably, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leadership will not attend the summit.
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🔴ISRAEL 🇮🇱| US President #DonaldTrump landed in #Israel on Monday, Oct 13, welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister #Netanyahu and President #Herzog, just as the #Hamas released its Israeli alive hostages and a few hours before a summit in #Egypt to discuss the plan for peace in #Gaza pic.twitter.com/jyWxsxiXGX
— Nanana365 (@nanana365media) October 13, 2025
Hostage Reunions Highlight Emotional Toll
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Seven Israeli hostages, freed in the first round of releases by Hamas, arrived at Re’im base in southern Israel to reunite with families.
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Omri Miran, 46, taken from Kibbutz Nahal Oz, was reunited with his wife and two daughters. Hamas had released a video of him in April 2024.
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Alon Ohel, a 22-year-old pianist abducted from the Nova festival, was freed; a yellow piano has been placed in Tel Aviv’s “Hostages Square” in his honor.
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Guy Gilboa-Dalal, also 22, shared captivity with his childhood friend Evyatar David; both were shown in videos by Hamas to psychologically torment relatives.
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Matan Angrest, 20, an IDF soldier kidnapped from Nahal Oz, celebrated his release; he is a football fan and dreams of visiting the US to watch an NBA game.
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Eitan Abraham Mor, 23 at the time of abduction, worked as a security guard at the Supernova festival and was safely freed.
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Gali Berman, twin of Ziv Berman, was released after being kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar-Aza; both brothers are now 27.
The hostages were released after 738 days in captivity, marking a major milestone in the ceasefire agreement and demonstrating the human cost of the conflict.
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Trump Arrives in Israel
Air Force One touched down in Israel as the first group of hostages returned. At Ben Gurion International Airport, Trump greeted Prime Minister Netanyahu with a warm embrace and exchanged brief words before meeting officials including Ambassador Mike Huckabee, envoy Yechiel Leiter, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff, who played key roles in brokering the ceasefire and hostage-prisoner swap.
Trump praised Netanyahu aboard Air Force One, calling him “a wartime president” and noting that their recent disputes had been “quickly settled.”
The Summit Ahead
The Sharm El-Sheikh Summit aims to solidify the Gaza ceasefire, coordinate humanitarian assistance, and discuss long-term strategies for regional stability. While Israeli and Hamas leaders will not attend, the summit includes over 20 world leaders, underscoring the international effort to end hostilities and prevent further escalation.
The ceasefire and hostage releases offer a fragile window of calm in a conflict that has caused immense human suffering on both sides, highlighting the urgent need for diplomatic solutions in the region.
