“There was no hope that we would ever be free from that captivity and return to our homes… we would be able to meet our loved ones, hug them, but today we are free… these tears are of happiness in our eyes. No one else can understand much. These things must have been going on in the minds of the three hostages who were released from the captivity of Hamas during their return to their homeland. After all, considering what they have endured in the last 15 months, coming back to their home again is like a dream come true. Same would have been the condition of some of those prisoners who were released from captivity by Israel on Sunday. Under this ceasefire agreement, Israel has released 90 prisoners of Palestine. All these prisoners also met their families after many years. Today we are going to show you the emotional moments of some of these hostages and prisoners when they met their families after a long time.

The uncle of 17-year-old Palestinian prisoner Qasim Jafra welcomes his nephews with a kiss upon their return. Jafra is one of the 90 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel.

The first three Israeli hostages, including Gonen, were released under a Gaza ceasefire on January 19. She could not stop herself from getting emotional after meeting her family.

Israeli hostage Doron Steinbracher is seen welcoming him into the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv. During this time she also looked very emotional with her family members.

The first three Israeli hostages, including Steinbracher, were released on January 19 under a Gaza ceasefire aimed at ending more than 15 months of war that has devastated the Palestinian territory.

The Israeli government said it had completed the release of 90 Palestinian prisoners early on January 20 as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Which came into effect a day earlier and led to the release of three Israeli female hostages, who were being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Released three Israeli hostages who were kidnapped during attacks by Palestinian terrorists on October 7, 2023. After the ceasefire and hostage-taking prisoners exit a van before boarding an Israeli Air Force military transport helicopter near Reim in southern Israel on January 19, 2025. The war exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas came into force.

The crowd in Tel Aviv’s “Hostage Square” cheered late on January 19 at the news that the first three hostages freed under the Gaza ceasefire agreement had returned to Israel.