All Israeli hostages are in the hands of the IDF, as the handover process took place today, Monday October 13th, part of the ceasefire agreement for Gaza. The Palestinian news agency Shehab has reported that Hamas has published the names of the 20 hostages who are set to be released.
The names appear to match the list of 20 hostages believed to still be alive: Bar Kupershtein, Evyatar David, Yosef-Chaim Ohana, Segev Kalfon, Avinatan Or, Elkana Bohbot, Maxim Herkin, Nimrod Cohen, Matan Zangauker, David Cunio, Eitan Horn, Matan Angrest, Eitan Mor, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Omri Miran, Alon Ohel, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Rom Braslabski, Ariel Konio.
The bodies of deceased hostages will be returned in a second phase, though Hamas acknowledges it does not have access to all remains due to destruction in underground tunnels and battle zones. The identification process will be carried out with the assistance of Israeli forensic teams.
Trump arrives in Israel
U.S Presiden Donald Trump arrived in Israel at 09:20 (local and Greek time). After meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, he delivered a speech at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament.
“The war is over. Do you understand that?” the Republican told reporters accompanying him on the presidential aircraft shortly after departing from Andrews Air Force Base.
For his part, Mr. Netanyahu stated that Israel had achieved “tremendous victories, victories that astonished the entire world,” quickly adding, “I must tell you that the struggle is not over.”
Hamas demanded simultaneous release of hostages
According to well-informed sources, Hamas has “completed preparations” for the release of the living hostages, but continued yesterday to insist that imprisoned Palestinian leaders be released at the same time.
Israel, for its part, made it clear that the Palestinian prisoners, who were transferred to two specific detention centers, would not be released until it is confirmed that the hostages have been handed over to the Red Cross.
The completion of the first phase of the agreement will largely determine the stability of this fragile framework. If the exchange proceeds without incidents, a second round of negotiations will begin for the return of all remains and the creation of a permanent monitoring mechanism in Gaza.
However, the region’s future remains uncertain, as neither Israel nor Hamas has yet opened discussions on a long-term political settlement or the possibility of returning to the two-state solution.
The agreement also includes the reopening of humanitarian corridors, through which hundreds of trucks carrying food, fuel, and medical supplies have already begun entering Gaza. At the same time, an international monitoring committee is being formed, led by the United States and including Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire and the prisoner exchanges.
The ceasefire is considered fragile, with officials warning that any potential violation could reignite the conflict. Despite these concerns, Israel says it is “fully prepared” to move forward with the process, while Hamas claims that “the release is a gesture of goodwill”.
