Trump arrived, the hostages were returned: Israel celebrates the end of the war with Hamas. Details

20 hostages who were held by Hamas militants for more than two years have returned to Israel from the Gaza Strip. Their return has become a national holiday. On this day, US President Donald Trump also arrived in Israel, for whom unprecedented honors were organized in connection with his mediation in a peaceful settlement. How the release of the last hostages went — in the material of Izvestia.

Hostage release

• The day of the hostages' release began with the fact that the militant wing of Hamas published a list of 20 people who were supposed to be released. Israel has confirmed that these are the same 20 prisoners who were reliably known to be still alive. During the first stage of the hostage transfer operation, Hamas militants handed them over to the staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross. First, a group of seven people was released, and after a few days, the remaining 13 people were transferred. In the future, Hamas must hand over the remaining bodies of the 28 hostages killed by the militants.

• The hostages were then taken to the Israeli military, who had already transported them to Israel. They underwent an initial medical examination at a field hospital in Kibbutz Reim, where they had the opportunity to meet with their relatives for the first time in two years. The former hostages were then taken by helicopter to hospitals in Tel Aviv for a more comprehensive examination.

Maxim Kharkin, a native of Donbass, became one of the hostages released. He joined the second group of prisoners handed over to the Red Cross. Among the freed hostages were twin brothers Ziv and Gali Berman. They were abducted on Kibbutz Kfar Aza when they were 26 years old. They were held separately in captivity, and only after their release did they manage to see each other. Another prisoner was 24-year-old pianist Alon Ohel. After his release, Israeli President Isaac Herzog called him and invited him to his residence to play the piano.

• The release was watched live from early morning by crowds gathered in Hostage Square, a previously unnamed place in Tel Aviv where relatives gathered and protests took place. On the big screen, about 65,000 people watched as the recent captives met with their relatives and communicated with them by phone.

Trump's visit

• On the same day, US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel. According to his press secretary Caroline Leavitt, the head of the White House watched a video of the hostage rescue during the flight. Before the president's plane landed at Ben Gurion Airport, it flew over a Tel Aviv beach. It featured a huge profile of Trump and the words "Thank you" and "Home" inside the Israeli flag, which were clearly visible from the height of the landing plane.

• At the airport, Trump was personally met by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sarah. The two leaders lightly embraced on the runway, after which they got into an American limousine and headed to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. Their journey took about 40 minutes, during which they could discuss further settlement in the Middle East and the upcoming summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Along the way, Trump could meet a giant banner with the inscription "You are our winner!" and a portrait of Trump inside the Nobel Peace Prize medal.

• In the Knesset, Trump first signed the guest book and wrote, "This is a great honor for me — a great and wonderful day. A new beginning." As he walked to the parliamentary podium, one of the reporters asked him if the war in the Gaza Strip had finally ended. The US president answered "Yes" without hesitation. He also managed to meet with the families of the hostages.

• Inside the meeting room, he was greeted by Knesset deputies, many of whom wore red and white caps with the inscription "Trump is the president of the world." The American leader received a standing ovation from parliamentarians, and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana called Trump "the best friend Israel had in the White House." After that, Trump made a speech, during which two deputies were taken out of the meeting room — they held signs saying "Recognize Palestine," which is prohibited by the rules of the Knesset.

Peace stop: Hamas releases hostages ahead of Egypt summit

At the same time, the movement mobilized about 7,000 fighters to regain control of the Gaza Strip.

• During the day, Trump won two of the highest state awards at once. Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Khalil al-Sisi announced the awarding of the highest state award, the Order of the Nile, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog— the Presidential Medal of Honor. Netanyahu presented Trump with a gift in the form of a statuette of a golden dove.

• In total, the US president spent about seven hours in Israel, after which he went to the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, where the situation in the Gaza Strip after the truce will be discussed. Although the media reported that Trump could meet with the hostages themselves, this has not yet happened.