Hundreds of supporters for Israeli hostages convened in Central Park on Sunday, potentially for one of their final rallies, just hours before Hamas was expected to release the remaining 20 living captives still under its control.
Inbal Bachar, anxiously awaiting the return of her loved one, described the moment as a new beginning and expressed gratitude to President Trump for facilitating the cease-fire agreement that would lead to the hostages’ release.
“Maybe it’s just hours away. Perhaps even now, a new chapter is starting. We will sit and… witness the living coming home,” she shared with the gathered crowd in Manhattan as Hamas prepared to initiate the release early Monday.
“We will see them disembark from the trucks, rushing into their families’ arms, embracing after two long years without each other, and simultaneously, we will bow our heads as coffins are transported back to Israel to rest with honor in our homeland,” she emphasized.
The anticipated exchange signals the conclusion of a harrowing two-year ordeal for the hostages, with 20 believed to still be alive.
Trump is scheduled to arrive in Israel to oversee this significant exchange as families await anxiously for updates concerning their loved ones after months of reports indicating that at least 26 out of the 48 hostages are presumed deceased.
The president will be accompanied by key members of his cabinet, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, with over 20 global leaders expected to participate in the cease-fire summit set for Monday.
According to the cease-fire terms, Hamas agreed to release the living hostages and the remains of deceased individuals known to them around 1 a.m. ET on Monday.
An international initiative will commence during the cease-fire to locate the remains of the missing, a task that Israeli officials estimate may take over 10 days to finalize.
The total number of dead among the captives, including those who were taken during the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack, remains uncertain.
Despite lingering uncertainties, those who gathered in Central Park marked the eve of the exchange with chants of “They’re coming home!”
Nogah Rotstein, a cousin of captives Gali and Ziv Berman, expressed gratitude for the weekly support received in Manhattan over the last two years, with everyone anticipating a seamless exchange.
“We are all experiencing a mix of emotions—nervousness, apprehension, and hope, holding onto positivity and trusting that this will actually occur,” she reflected regarding the imminent release.
The Berman twins are among those believed to still be alive. Keith Siegel, an Israeli-American who was previously freed, mentioned that they appeared injured the last time he saw them in the tunnels controlled by Hamas following his release earlier this year.
The hostages due for release have spent 737 days in captivity, with former captives highlighting the torture, starvation, and brutality inflicted upon them by Hamas.
Survivors recounted that Hamas frequently subjected them to beatings, sexual violence, and starvation—propaganda videos from the group even depicted hostages being coerced into digging their own graves, symbolizing a fate of never returning from Gaza alive.
After their release, the hostages are expected to be taken to Israeli medical facilities for treatment, as previous captives have arrived with serious injuries and significant malnutrition.
Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine is preparing to utilize cutting-edge technology, including fingerprints, dental records, and DNA analysis, to identify the returned bodies—a process projected to take several days.
During the previous hostage exchange, Hamas mistakenly returned the body of an unidentified Palestinian woman in place of the deceased Shiri Bibas, prompting global outrage and nearly derailing the fragile cease-fire agreement.
Similar to many present at the event in Central Park, Bachar expressed her gratitude to Trump for brokering the cease-fire arrangement that will facilitate the hostages’ release in the upcoming hours and potentially bring an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“In the end, he managed to get a deal secured,” noted Dana Cwaigrach, co-founder of the Hostages Families Forum. “All we can do is express our appreciation to the Trump administration.”
Although hopeful about the forthcoming exchange, Cwaigrach acknowledged lingering anxiety due to past failed cease-fires.
“It’s undeniably an emotional moment, but it’s not truly over until it’s over. Until we see them return to Israel, the situation remains unresolved,” she concluded.
