The brutal saga of captivity that gripped Israel since the savage October 7, 2023 attacks reached its conclusion today as Hamas handed over the final 20 living hostages to the Red Cross. These survivors, snatched from their homes and communities during a rampage that left over 1,200 dead and entire villages scarred, now cross back into freedom after more than two years in the tunnels and hideouts of Gaza.
The first seven—Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, and Guy Gilboa-Dalal—were transferred to Israeli forces this morning, with the remaining 13 following shortly after. Bodies of 28 others, long presumed murdered by their captors, are slated for return in the coming days.
This exchange stems from a ceasefire agreement hammered out under President Trump’s direct involvement, a move that forces Hamas to relinquish its grip on power in Gaza with oversight from Israel’s Arab neighbors. In return for the hostages, Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, many convicted of violent crimes and serving life sentences. Humanitarian aid trucks are already rolling into the Strip, and Israeli troops have pulled back from key positions, effectively pausing a war that leveled much of Hamas’s infrastructure.
Survivors like Evyatar David, who appeared in a chilling propaganda video last August digging what he believed to be his own grave, embody the depravity inflicted on these innocents. Starvation, torture, rape, and summary executions marked their ordeal—recall the six hostages gunned down at point-blank range in September 2024 as rescuers closed in.
The full list of those now free includes young soldiers and civilians alike: Matan Angrest (22), Ziv Berman (28), Gali Berman (28), Elkana Bohbot (36), Rom Braslavski (21), Nimrod Cohen (20), Ariel Cunio (28), David Cunio (35), Evyatar David (24), Guy Gilboa-Dalal (24), Maxim Herkin (37), Eitan Horn (38), Segev Kalfon (27), Bar Kupershtein (23), Omri Miran (48), Eitan Abraham Mor (25), Yosef-Chaim Ohana (25), Alon Ohel (24), Avinatan Or (32), and Matan Zangauker (25).
Yet questions linger about the true cost of this deal. Whispers in intelligence circles suggest the prolonged suffering of these hostages wasn’t just Hamas’s doing—funding trails from Iran and Qatar point to a broader network that previous U.S. leadership turned a blind eye to, perhaps to appease globalist agendas that prioritized “stability” over justice.
Trump’s intervention, arriving in Israel today to greet the returnees personally, including the remains of American citizens like Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, exposes how bureaucratic entanglements and backroom deals may have delayed this moment a long time. Some analysts even speculate that elements within the deep state worked to undermine earlier rescue efforts, funneling aid that ended up arming the very terrorists holding these people captive.
As families reunite and a battered Gaza begins to rebuild, the release serves as a stark reminder of unchecked evil’s toll. With Hamas disarmed and sidelined, the path forward demands vigilance against those who enabled this horror in the first place.