First Hostages Handed to Red Cross in Gaza

[SunSeeker]

Source: Wall Street Journal

The first group of a total of 20 hostages still alive were handed to the Red Cross in Gaza, according to the Israeli state broadcaster. The full release into Israeli hands is a requirement of the current cease-fire and a step that could push forward President Trump's broader proposal to end the war and rebuild the enclave. Following the release, Israel and Hamas are expected to begin negotiating a peace deal that would force the U.S.-designated terrorist group to disarm and give up power in Gaza.

Here's what else to know:

•The hostages were among about 251 people kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, when the group launched an assault on Israel that left around 1,200 people killed.

•A cease-fire in Gaza went into effect Friday and aid has resumed flowing into the enclave.

•A host of details still need to be resolved in a subsequent phase of the agreement, including how the Gaza enclave is to be governed.

•"The war is over," President Trump said as he traveled on Air Force One to the region to address Israel's parliament Monday. He is then set to attend a summit in Egypt aimed at spurring momentum for the broader plan.



Read more: https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-hamas-gaza-hostage-peace-deal?mod=mhp

---

Under Biden, 148 hostages were returned alive to Israel -140 were released and eight were rescued by the Israeli military. Biden helped negotiate the releases, but did not take credit for them like Trump is doing, as is his way.

After the hostage release comes the hard part of the proposed peace plan: getting Hamas to disarm and give up power in Gaza. Hamas has always refused to disarm and give up power in Gaza.

[sarisataka]

5. Would you like your pizza to go?

[Tetrachloride]

2. Israel was not allowing Egypt food trucks in.

clever how that was not mentioned

self censorship by the wsjournal

[AloeVera]

4. Welcome to DU.

Enjoy your stay.

[Celerity]

6. Open bigotry is not a good look for your first posts on DU.

[AloeVera]

7. First and last. What a shame.

[Celerity]

8. They had already made 3 or 4. One praising Trump and Netanyahu.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. He's back below.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. You love the hateful?

That makes sense I guess. Cognitive dissonance is a difficult thing to shake off.

[AloeVera]

12. He/she was here to spew lies and spread hate.

Brainwashed into "Islamics" hatred by FOX et al. Of course only the hostages matter in this worldview so the "peace plan" is now considered accomplished or the rest not important. Hence the "Trump and Bibi did it!" gloating.
Truly

[BumRushDaShow]

15. Bye.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. Oh I know

Responded to the -

[COL Mustard]

19. Looks like I missed some excitement!

Damn my need for sleep!

[BumRushDaShow]

21. LOL

ETA - troll is back - https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=3546489

[COL Mustard]

22. It must be hard

To be that desperate for attention. I almost pity the trolls. But not really.

[BumRushDaShow]

30. At least 7 attempts so far

But -

[MarineCombatEngineer]

37. Probably LG again

she's well known for this and MIRt has got her number.

[Glorious bastard]

35. Watch:

Dozens of aid trucks were seen entering Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing, as preparations were underway Sunday for a ramp-up of aid entering the war-battered Gaza Strip under a new ceasefire deal.
The trucks, which will be inspected by Israeli forces before being allowed in, are carrying medical supplies, tents, blankets, food and fuel, the Egyptian Red Crescent said.

[Mike 03]

17. BBC World Service Radio is providing extended coverage, expanding "Newsroom"

if anyone is interested. (They've been more less covering this for approximately four hours, with one half-hour break for business related programming).

I think it's available online, but it's also on SiriusXM.

[COL Mustard]

18. This is good news!

I can give Trump credit for getting these poor people released; I’ll also give Joe Biden credit for working as hard as he did to get the earlier releases in place. I just hope this cease fire will hold and that it will lead to a lasting peace.

[RandySF]

29. It's the end of one terrible ordeal.

God only knows the trauma the surviving captives will be dealing with.

[JoseBalow]

24. Oh look, it's back

[JoseBalow]

26. TSST!

[RandySF]

27. First?

Hamas are going to drag it out, aren’t they?

[muriel_volestrangler]

31. No - all the living hostages were released 2 hours before you posted

3h ago
09.08 BST
Second group of 13 hostages has been handed over to the Red Cross - public radio
A second group of 13 Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas to the Red Cross, according to Israeli public radio.

Hamas has confirmed that this means that all of the living Israeli hostages have now been released.

As a reminder, as per the terms of the ceasefire agreement, 20 living hostages were due to be handed over this morning, with the bodies of up to 28 also released.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/oct/13/gaza-ceasefire-live-updates-israel-hostages-release-hamas-trump-middle-east?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-68ecb2848f08563c9da77d87#block-68ecb2848f08563c9da77d87

Those that are dead may take longer; their burial places may themselves have been buried by rubble.

[RandySF]

33. After two years

That was big of them.

[Takket]

28. My local news just covered a few minutes of Israel's parliament

It was utterly bizarre. They did standing ovations and praised whitkoff, then kushner, then Mike huckabee.

The entire event seemed to imply that drumpf and his team did all the work here. There was a clip of drumpf on a screen in Israel saying “partners in peace”

And of course they had video of drumpf saying he had ended another war.

Knowing how slimy these people are I would be curious to know exactly how much of this process the USA was actually responsible for, vs Israel kissing drumpf’s ass just to make him happy.

I mean how much work did Israel and Hamas do on their own to make to make this happen? What about Qatar? They seemed to be a major player? And as the world heaps praise on drumpf, how much did he actually do? Was he actually in any meeting? Did he actually negotiate terms? Or was it all his team?

It is just utterly bizarre to me that we don’t even know the facts of how this deal happened or how much influence the USA had in making it, but drumpf is being given all the credit.

[RandySF]

32. All that natters

Is that Trump will get credit after we wasted all of 2024 bickering over the right spry-paint college facilities and whether Hamas we’re really freedom fighters.

[SunSeeker]

38. Qatar was instrumental, hosting the peace talks and going from financing Hamas to insisting they disarm.

And what did they get for their trouble? Apparently, an air force base in Idaho and all the fighter jets they can buy. https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/hegseth-qatar-air-force-facility-us-base-idaho/

This deal has been on the table since last year, Biden got it together but couldn't get it over the finish line. Looks like Bibi was hoping for a Trump win and what he was assuming would be more favorable terms from Trump. It's the Iran hostage deal all over again.

When Trump went on his "I want a peace prize" bender and it became clear to Bibi he had gotten the best terms he was going to get, he finally agreed to a ceasefire. And what did Bibi get? We'll know as the coming days and weeks unfold. Other than getting the last 20 living hostages back, it appears he will now have carte blanche to take out Hamas completely, with no worries about killing hostages holding him back from going total scorched earth. And he will get to stay in power, and out of jail. And since Kushner got involved at the last minute, I am guessing money was somehow involved.

[Sea Turtle]

34. Today is a good day -- full stop

Today is a good day. Tomorrow may be different, but today is a good day and we should celebrate that 20 people that were being held in torturous conditions have been released and are with their families again.

Let’s hope tomorrow is a good day too, and that the rest of Trump‘s plan unfolds to bring lasting peace.

[maxsolomon]

39. Trump rebranded the Biden Plan.

The negotiating team "pulled it out of a drawer" and inserted Trump's name.

[Sea Turtle]

40. It is a shame

It is a shame that Biden didn’t get it done. How many more lives could have been saved? I wonder what made the difference between the two and why it happened now under Trump and not Biden.

[maxsolomon]

41. Yes, one wonders why.

Netanyahu has had such good relationships with Democratic Presidents.

[electric_blue68]

36. I sure hope the released hostages and their families get as much support as they need

Physical, and mental support.