Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza on Monday as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and had left scores of captives in militant hands.

Seven of the hostages were released early on Monday, while the remaining 13 were freed a few hours later. The 20, all men, were being reunited with their families and would undergo medical checks.

The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over, although the exact timing remained unclear.

Families and friends of the hostages who gathered in a square in Tel Aviv broke into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the first group of hostages was in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country.

Israel released the first photos of hostages arriving home, including one showing 28-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman embracing as they were reunited. The photos of the first seven hostages showed them looking pale but less gaunt than some of the hostages freed in January.

Palestinians, meanwhile, awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel, with an official involved in the operation saying 154 released Palestinian detainees would be deported outside Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine.

US President Donald Trump arrived in the region, where he plans to discuss the US-proposed deal and postwar plans with other leaders.

The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage.

In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the UN and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting.

Buses lined up in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Monday morning in anticipation of the release of prisoners.

They include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile. (AP/Reuters)