2025-10-14
33 分钟This is The Guardian. Today, Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees finally come home.
I'm here in hostages square in Tel Aviv where Hopefully, in 25 minutes or so,
we will see the release on large screens, stepped around to the square.
For more than two years,
Israelis have been gathering in what's become known as Hostages Square to call for the return of those kidnapped on October the 7th.
Monday was the day they'd been praying for.
Our chief reporter, Daniel Boffey, was there.
For those who know London, it's kind of the size of Trafalgar Square.
tents on the outskirts, signs, banners showing the faces of those who've been missing all this time.
A large screen with a clock, 737 days, two hours,
19 minutes and four seconds they've been missing so far and we're very much hoping that clock will stop very soon.
Everyone seems to truly believe this is going to happen now.
A crowd of some six 65,000 gathered in the square as the names began to come through and the journey's home began.
That cheer was word that seven of the hostages are now in the hands of the army.
At the same time, anxious Palestinian families were waiting for the release of loved ones,
as Israel agreed to release nearly 2,000 detainees.
Guardian journalist Will Christu was in Ramallah in the West Bank.
As soon as the bus came into sight,
we saw that first detainee making the peace sign through the bus windows.
The crowd just went wild and they searched forward.