Two Years Later, Israel’s Last Hostages Return

The Daily

The New York Times

Daily News, News

4.4 • 102.8K Ratings

🗓️ 13 October 2025

⏱️ 31 minutes

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Summary

The Israeli military said on Monday that it had received the 20 remaining living hostages released by Hamas under the terms of the cease-fire deal. Rachel Abrams speaks to families of those hostages, and to other Israelis, about the long-anticipated moment, and Isabel Kershner, a Times reporter who covers Israel and Palestine, discusses why the hostages have been such a crucial factor in efforts to end the war.

Transcript

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0:00.0	From the New York Times, I'm Rachel Abrams, and this is the Daily.
0:07.5	Early Monday morning, thousands of people had already gathered in what's become known as
0:12.1	Hostage Square in Tel Aviv.
0:14.0	So happy right now. I stayed awake all night just to see it, everything. It's amazing
0:20.7	that everybody's coming back.
0:22.6	And news broke that the first group of hostages had returned to Israel,
0:26.6	starting in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and detainees
0:29.6	that was expected to begin later in the day.
0:32.6	Over the past few days,
0:34.6	the world has seen dramatic scenes unfold from Israel and Gaza.
0:46.6	In Gaza, thousands of Palestinians are returning to their homes and their neighborhoods,
0:52.1	and they're seeing firsthand the devastation that two years of war has brought.
1:00.4	As international journalists continue to wait for access to the strip.
1:09.1	Don't even if we're not going to be left the chafon of Hatofim, Yatsu, Barsa. Mata'at al-Darra. to the strip.
1:26.1	Today, I talk with families of hostages and other Israelis in Hostage Square, about this long-anticipated moment, and also with my colleague Isabel Kirchner,
1:29.2	about why the hostages have been so pivotal in the efforts to end the war.
1:39.4	It's Monday, October 13th.
1:56.8	Well, ladies and gentlemen, we welcome you to Vandiria International Airport here in Tel Aviv.
2:05.0	As the ceasefire took effect in Gaza, I flew to Israel with daily producer Claire Tennisketter to ask people how they're feeling and what they're thinking.
2:08.9	So we just got off the plane.
2:11.0	We haven't even been walking maybe five minutes.
2:13.3	And all along this very brightly lit hallway are pictures of the hostages.
	...

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