Who are the hostages released by Hamas? Twenty freed under Trump’s peace deal after two years in captivity

Two years of agony are over for the families of 20 Hamas hostages taken from Israel during the 7 October, 2023 attacks.

All of the remaining living captives were handed over by the terrorist group on Monday as part of US president Donald Trump’s peace deal in Gaza.

A further 26 hostages are confirmed dead, while the status of two more whose lives were in “serious danger” is unknown.

Seven hostages were released by Hamas on Monday morning, just before President Trump landed in Tel Aviv to meet with their families. The remaining 13 have also now been handed over to the Red Cross.

“This is going to be a very special time,” the president said on Air Force One ahead of his touchdown. “Everybody is very excited about this moment in time.”

Who are the freed hostages?

Alon Ohel

One of the first seven hostages to arrive back in Israel, Alon Ohel was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on 7 October, 2023.

Born and raised in Lavon, a settlement in northern Israel, he had moved to Tel Aviv with friends and planned to start a course at the Rimon School of Music in October 2023.

Friends and family described him as a “cheerful, happy” man “surrounded by friends, loves life and good food”. Alon has a brother and sister, Ronen and Inbar, and is the son of Kobi and Idit.

The 24-year-old went to Nova with friends but was forced to flee to a shelter in Re’im when the shooting began. There, the group managed to escape grenades until he was taken by Hamas alongside Eliya Cohen, Or Levy, and the late Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

Eitan Avraham Mor

A barista working in Jerusalem before the 7 October attacks, Eitan Avraham Mor was working on the security team at the Nova festival when he was taken hostage by Hamas.

One of seven siblings, 25-year-old Mr Mor has been described as someone with a “big heart” who “makes everyone laugh and loves to give himself to others”.

According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters, Mr Mor stayed to help evacuate wounded festivalgoers before he was kidnapped himself in October 2023.

A previously released hostage, Ron Krivoy, who spent three days with Mr Mor in a tunnel, told of his “big smile and hope that didn't fade even in the depths of the earth”.

Gali Berman

Also understood to have now arrived back in Israel is 28-year-old Gali Berman, who was kidnapped alongside his twin brother Ziv.

Mr Berman was born and raised in Kibbutz Kfar Aza in southern Israel and worked providing sound and lighting for events. The brothers are said to be huge football fans, keenly following both Maccabi Tel Aviv and Liverpool.

His friends described him as the first person they call when they need help, adding he has a “wide heart”, a statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters said.

The pair were kidnapped from the Kfar Aza Kibbutz along with Emily Damari on 7 October.

Ziv Berman

Gali Berman’s twin brother Ziv is also understood to have arrived back in Israel on Monday morning.

Described as an “amazing and kind-hearted person” with a “captivating joy for life,” Mr Berman loves exploring the world alongside his brother and travelled to Costa Rica before he was kidnapped in 2023, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters.

Both Gali and Ziv Berman are said to have coordinated their work shifts to help their father Doron with treatments for his Parkinson’s disease.

Guy Gilboa-Dalal

Guy Gilboa-Dalal is another attendee of the Nova music festival who was taken by Hamas fighters on 7 October, 2023.

Raised in Alfei Menashe on the western edge of the central West Bank, he had a huge admiration for Japanese culture and anime, and had planned a trip to visit, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters said.

A “die-hard” fan of Maccabi Haifa football team, the 24-year-old also loves to play guitar and spend time with his friends and family, the statement added.

On October 7, he went to the Nova festival and was kidnapped along with his childhood friend, Evyatar David.

Matan Angrest

One of the hostages who was captured while serving in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), Matan Angrest was kidnapped from the battlefield while defending the Nahal Oz outpost in southern Israel during the attack.

He has been described by his family as a “patriot” and received a certificate of merit from the commander of Brigade 7. Outside of service, the 22-year-old is said to love Maccabi Haifa football team, playing video games, and listening to music.

During his kidnapping he was reportedly lynched while unconscious, and several testimonies have said he was “starved and severely tortured” in captivity, according to the Missing Families Forum Headquarters.

Omri Miran

Also returned to Israel on Monday morning is Omri Miran. Mr Miran, 47, grew up in the Galilee but later moved to the Kibbutz Nahal Oz in the south of the country.

A passionate sportsman, Mr Miran played football and basketball in his kibbutz teams and is a fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv and loves to travel the world, according to his loved ones.

Described as an “active, involved and dedicated father” his family said his “greatest love is time with his two daughters Roni and Alma, who was just six months old when he was kidnapped.

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