New Yorkers are reacting after hostages were released from Gaza after being captured by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
‘An amazing historic day’: New Yorkers react as remaining Israeli hostages released from Gaza after historic U.S.-led ceasefire dealReleased Israeli hostage, Eitan Abraham Mor, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, as part of a prisoner-hostage swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, is reunited with his family, in Reim, in Israel October 13, 2025.
Israel Defense Forces/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTYMonday, signaling the initial phases of the end of the Israel-Hamas war, a conflict that rocked communities across the world. The release marks a significant milestone, hopefully closing a painful chapter in world history that began on Oct. 7, 2023. New Yorkers from all backgrounds and faiths reacted to the emotional news with a mix of tears of joy, cheers and somber tones of relief. “I’m very grateful the 20 living hostages are home and pray they will slowly heal,” said Lyss Stern of the Upper East Side. “It’s an amazing historic day. They’re home just in time for the joyous holiday of Simchat Torah.”“I’m just very happy for this to be happening in the Middle East, for the hostages to be free and for the Palestinians to have peace and rebuild. I’m a bit sad it took two years to happen,” Eddie of Woodside, Queens, said. The Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when terrorists stormed Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, making it the deadliest days for Jews since the Holocaust during World War II. A devastating war and humanitarian crisis ensued over the next two years as it sent shockwaves across the world, pitting communities against each other in support of Palestine or Israel. Tens of thousands of civilians were killed, most of them Palestinians, during the war as the hostages’ prolonged captivity continued to bring daily anguish to their families, friends and supporters across the world. The release of the remaining hostages is being recognized as a triumph of perseverance and international cooperation. President Donald Trump addressed Israel’s Parliament on Monday, saying, “This is not only the end of a war; this is the end of an age of terror and death.”Released hostage Elkana Bohbot, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, arrives at Sheba Medical Center, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Ramat Gan, Israel October 13, 2025., an organization that supports a unified Israeli society, described the release as an overdue moment of relief for families and communities affected by the conflict. “As we begin, with somber gratitude, to bring our sacred deceased from Gaza to burial, we are reminded of both the cost of hatred and the sanctity of every human life,” he said. He spotlighted Trump’s and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s roles in the welcoming release while acknowledging that more work needs to be done. “President Trump’s role in facilitating this outcome, together with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s persistent diplomacy, deserves acknowledgment despite the tremendous amount of work which remains,” Sanders said. This is not an endpoint but a fragile turning point, and we urge all leaders, both in Israel and beyond, to embrace the interpersonal and intercultural values which make for positive and enduring unity.”, a pro bono legal group that helps Jewish communities worldwide, said the agreement between Israel and the terror group Hamas marked a “historic turning point” that will bring hope and a “measure of justice” for those who have suffered throughout the two-year ordeal. “The release of hostages illegally taken by Hamas offers immense relief to their families and to all who have prayed for their safe return,” Filitti said. Like Sanders of Be a Mensch, he said Trump should be credited with a large part of the release and ceasefire. “His leadership, anchored by a coalition of Arab partners including Egypt and Qatar, has done what years of fractured diplomacy could not: unite regional players behind a common framework for peace. By building regional consensus and coupling strength with pragmatic diplomacy, President Trump achieved what many deemed impossible, moving the region toward genuine stability and renewed deterrence.” Scott Richman, ADL New York/New Jersey regional director, said the previous two years were ones of “fear, anguish, and unimaginable uncertainty” and said the hostages are welcomed home with “full hearts.” “We are overjoyed and profoundly relieved that the remaining hostages are finally home, while filled with anguish for those not coming home alive,” he said. “Their return is a testament to the resilience of their families and the unwavering unity of Am Yisrael. ADL stands with the families, the global Jewish community, and all in Israel who never gave up hope. “Released hostage, David Cunio, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, gestures as he arrives at Sheba Medical Center, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Ramat Gan, Israel October 13, 2025. Hamas freed the last 20 surviving Israeli hostages as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The bodies of those who died are also expected to be returned to Israel. “After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their loved ones,” Trump said in an address to the Israeli Parliament on Monday. “Twenty-eight more are coming home at last to rest in their sacred soil for all of time.” Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has met with hostage families and visited Israel in the wake of the attack two years ago, issued a statement about the momentous occasion. “After two years of immense suffering and loss, the Israeli hostages have finally returned home,” she said. “I join their families in celebrating this long-awaited homecoming and pray they find peace and comfort in the days ahead.”With their return and a permanent ceasefire, I’m hopeful that vital aid will soon reach families suffering in Gaza and that today marks the beginning of a new chapter of lasting peace and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike,Jewish and Israel advocates whom amNewYork spoke to agreed that more work lies ahead to cement peace in the area. While both Israel and Hamas accepted parts of the U.S.-brokered plan, the terror group has not yet agreed to the “essential provisions of disarmament and exclusion from post-war governance,” as Filitti explained. “These are not negotiable details,” he said. They are the very foundation of a lasting peace. If Hamas remains armed and in power, this ‘peace’ will be little more than a pause—a fragile lull before the next October 7. True peace requires accountability, verifiable demilitarization, and an end to the cycle of terror that has plagued the region for generations.” Other advocates said the horrors of Oct. 7, 2023, should not be forgotten, but the hostages’ release can be the foundation of future peace. “We join family, friends and all of Israel in celebrating the strength, resilience, courage, and above all else, the return of the 20 living hostages,” said Eric Goldstein, CEO of the UJA-Federation of New York. “At the same time, we grieve those who have not, and will not, return to their families alive. We will never forget the pain and horror of the 737 days, but we can now begin the long road of healing, recovery, and hope for more peaceful days.”Murder in Brooklyn: Homeless man questioned in connection with deadly stabbingAaron Glenn, Jets sticking with Justin Fields at QB despite Week 6 stinkerFlip Circus returning to Queens this fall featuring all new actsGeorge Takei speaks out against censorship at BPL Banned Books Week eventMan slashes NYPD vehicle tires outside of a Brooklyn middle school
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