Sea of Flags on Hostage Square
Half a million people packed the plaza unofficially renamed Hostage Square, turning central Tel Aviv into a sea of blue-and-white banners and yellow ribbons. Organisers, citing drone footage, said the gathering was the largest since the 7 October 2023 attacks, eclipsing even the wartime protests that shook Israel earlier this year (CNN).
Police pushed traffic barriers outward twice as the crowd spilled into adjoining boulevards. The unusually high number of children reflected parents’ confidence that the ordeal is finally ending. By late evening, chants of “Free them now” gave way to song, creating a carnival that masked two years of anguish.
Families Balance Grief and Hope
Some relatives, like Ofir Braslavski, smiled publicly for the first time in months. His son Rom, a 21-year-old abducted from the Nova music festival, was last seen in a militant video appearing gaunt and terrified. “I just imagine hugging him,” Braslavski told reporters, his voice wavering yet determined (CNN).
Forty-eight captives, twenty believed still alive, are slated to re-enter Israel by midday Monday under the first phase of a cease-fire brokered by multiple intermediaries. For families, each hour feels elongated: jubilation competes with dread that last-minute violence or political friction could derail the timetable.
Trump Envoys Greeted, Netanyahu Booed
Political theatre unfolded when Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s special envoy, mounted the stage flanked by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. The square erupted in chants of “Thank you Trump,” crediting the former U.S. president for leaning on regional actors to finalise the accord (New York Times).
Gratitude turned abruptly to disapproval once Witkoff mentioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Sustained boos drowned out his attempt to acknowledge Netanyahu’s role. Many families blame the premier for prioritising coalition survival over swift negotiations, a perception he has struggled to shake despite repeated televised appeals (Ha’Aretz).
Mechanics of Monday’s Exchange
Hamas signaled readiness to hand the hostages to Israeli forces near the Rafah crossing early Monday. In parallel, Israeli authorities transferred 250 Palestinian detainees to Ofer and Ketziot prisons, the final staging posts before their release once the captives are confirmed safe (El País).
The swap forms the centrepiece of a fragile, US-backed cease-fire whose text remains intentionally terse. Beyond the prisoner lists, little is agreed on Gaza’s governance, reconstruction or the disarmament of militant factions. Diplomats warn that phase two negotiations could prove far thornier than the headline-grabbing prisoner exchange (BBC).
Cairo Summit Aims for Regional Reset
Eager to convert diplomatic capital into a broader deal, Donald Trump announced he will co-chair a ‘Gaza Peace Summit’ with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh on 13 October. Invitations have gone to leaders from France, Britain, Spain, Italy and the United Nations, among others (The Guardian).
The agenda pursues a sweeping, if vague, objective: end the Gaza war, stabilise the region and sketch a post-conflict order. Yet analysts note the absence of detailed proposals on Hamas’s future or Israeli security guarantees. As one European diplomat quipped, the summit risks being “a photo before the homework is done.”
For the families gathered in Tel Aviv, however, the geopolitics can wait. They will spend Monday scanning television feeds, counting ambulances and searching for familiar faces stepping onto Israeli soil. Only after embraces are exchanged will the wider questions of governance, security and reconstruction regain their rightful urgency.
