The Japan Times - Freed Israeli hostages hug loved ones in tears of joy

Wrapped in blue and white Israeli flags, those returning waved and smiled as military helicopters landed them back in Israel, AFP reporters saw, after militants freed the remaining 20 living hostages from the Palestinian territory under a US-backed ceasefire deal.

None of the hostages spoke directly to AFP immediately after their return, but videos filmed and released by the Israeli military captured some of the raw emotion of the reunions.

"My life, you are my life... you are a hero," cried Einav Zangauker as she embraced her smiling son Matan, in one video.

"Love of your mother, bless you, bless you, my dear."

Eitan Mor's father wailed in relief as he and the young man's mother squeezed him tight, the footage showed.

Other young hostages such as Bar Kuperstein and Yosef Haim Ohana waved from the windows of vans that brought them to the Sheba medical centre near Tel Aviv, as cheering crowds nearby raised Israeli flags.

Freed Israeli-German twins Gali and Ziv Berman smiled and gave the thumbs-up, wearing the yellow and blue shirts of their favourite football team, Maccabi Tel Aviv.

- Hostages' families rejoice -

In nearby Tel Aviv, hundreds of people erupted in joy, tears and song on Tel Aviv's Hostages Square Monday as news of the releases broke.

Many had come at sunrise, carrying pictures of the hostages and waving Israeli flags bearing a yellow ribbon, a symbol of the movement calling for their release.

"It's so exciting and overwhelming that it's finally happening," said Shelly Bar Nir, 34.

"What we've been fighting for, for over two years -- finally our hostages are coming home."

Another woman on the square, Noga, who wore a badge that read "Last day", shared her pain and joy with AFP.

"I'm torn between emotion and sadness for those who won't be coming back," she said.

Hamas and its militant allies took 251 hostages into Gaza during the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack.

Many of them were released in earlier truces, but 47 people seized on October 7 remained in Gaza. Only 20 of them are alive.

Since that day, Noga has worn a small badge each day, counting the days of their captivity.

- 'Welcome home' -

For the past two years, people have held frequent rallies and gatherings on this spot in Tel Aviv that has become known as Hostages Square.

When the news broke that the first seven of the remaining hostages had been released on Monday, the square broke out in cheers and song.

Israel later confirmed all living 20 hostages had returned to the country, with a series of posts on X that read: "Welcome home".

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the main organisation representing their relatives, had called on people to gather at the site with the yellow ribbons.

As the war in the Gaza Strip has dragged on, the ribbons became ubiquitous in public spaces in Israel, from roundabouts to car door handles and stroller grips.

Israel did not expect all of the dead hostages to be returned on Monday. The families' forum branded it "a blatant breach of the agreement by Hamas".

"Only then will the people of Israel be whole."

In exchange for the hostages, Israel is due to free nearly 2,000 prisoners held in its jails, most of them Gazans detained since the start of the war.

S.Yamamoto--JT