For over two years, all of Israel echoed a call to send all the remaining hostages home. Today, it is no longer a sound of clamor, but of jubilation.
The prevailing message that now reverberates all over Israel: WELCOME HOME.
Israel endured a 738-day long wait to wake up from nightmare to the brightest of all hopes and finally throw a welcome home message to the remaining 20 living hostages released today by Hamas after U.S. President Donald Trump, armed with a historic peace deal, intervened.
The anxious waiting of families turned into an emotional outburst of joy and tears as they caught a glimpse of their hostage-loved ones in a live broadcast while the Red Cross was turning them over to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) in the Gaza Strip.
It was the ultimate moment of truth when eventually the families came face to face and reunite with the freed hostages at the reception point in the Gaza border area.
The government of Israel and its agencies reaffirmed its commitment to accompany the freed hostages and their families all the way through rehabilitation.
Hamas released the hostages to Red Cross in batches of six and seven. But as the 20 hostages have all crossed back the border into Israeli territory, there is no stopping now of all Israel erupting in celebration.
