Israel says Hamas has handed over the first seven hostages to be released as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Hamas handed the hostages to the Red Cross, who were driven to Israeli security forces.
They have been taken into Israel and will be reunited with their families before being flown by helicopter to hospitals.
Once all the hostages are released, Israel is expected to free 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 Gazans detained after the October 7 attacks.
The Independent’s Chief International Correspondent Bel Trew said all 48 hostages are expected to be released today, alive or dead.
People react as they gather to watch a live broadcast of Israeli hostages released from Gaza at a plaza known as hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)“The status of some of the wasn’t known yesterday, but we do know at least one of the hostages who they were worried might be dead is actually alive,” she told Newstalk Breakfast.
“So, that’s some positive news, but there’s also a lot of worry amongst the families, because some of the bodies of the 26 who are known to be dead may not be retrieved today.
“We’re not sure that Hamas actually knows the whereabouts of their burial sites.
“So, there’s still a lot longer to go today, a lot of anxiety, celebration, tears, but also hope.”
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Ms Trew said the feeling in Hostage Square in Israel “is one of anxiety and trepidation”.
“The people that I’ve spoken to have said that this is the end of the war, and they hope [it] can be the beginning of a long journey to some kind of sustainable peace,” she said.
“Certainly, it’s been one of the biggest demands from the Israeli population, who’ve taken to the streets almost every week for the last few years, calling for some kind of exchange and truce.
“So, for them, they feel like this is definitely the end of a two-year nightmare – but of course, there’s still an awful long way to go.”
Palestinians walk among destroyed buildings in Gaza City, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, after Israel and Hamas agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)However, Ms Trew said that for Gazan civilians “who have been subjected to an unprecedented slaughter for the last few years”, this breakthrough is “by no means the end of their suffering”.
Ms Trew said that while the current death toll in Gaza is placed around 67,000, it is expected to rise once remains are retrieved from the rubble.
“Trying to redevelop Gaza could take generations, and trying to hammer out a peace deal that everyone agrees to, where all sides feel like they’ve taken a step out of this war is going to be incredibly hard,” she said.
“That’s what the second half of the day will be about, which is the peace summit in Egypt.”
US President Donald Trump, who has been credited as the driving force behind the ceasefire, will also be attending the peace summit in Egypt.
Main image: People react as a convoy carrying the hostages released from the Gaza Strip arrives at a military base near Reim, southern Israel, on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
