Crowd Gathers in Central Park Ahead of Hostage Release
On Sunday, hundreds of supporters of Israeli hostages came together in Central Park, potentially for their final rally, just before Hamas was set to release 20 living captives still in their possession.
Inbal Bashar, who has family members among the hostages, expressed her gratitude to President Trump for brokering a ceasefire that would enable the hostages’ return, describing the moment as the dawn of a new day.
With hopes high as Hamas was anticipated to start releasing the prisoners early Monday, she addressed the Manhattan crowd, saying, “Maybe in just a few hours, a new day could be starting. We’re going to sit… and watch the living go home.”
“We’ll witness them stepping out of the truck, rushing into the arms of their families after two long years. At the same time, we’ll bow our heads, seeing their coffins being brought back to Israel for a dignified burial,” she added.
The anticipated exchange signals the end of a two-year ordeal for those held captive, with 20 of them believed to still be alive.
President Trump arrived in Israel to oversee this pivotal exchange, as families anxiously awaited news about their loved ones following previous reports suggesting at least 26 of the 48 hostages were presumed deceased.
Accompanied by members of his Cabinet, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Army Secretary Pete Hegseth, the president was set to be joined by over 20 world leaders at a ceasefire summit on Monday.
The ceasefire agreement stipulated that Hamas would release surviving hostages along with the bodies of those confirmed dead starting around 1 a.m. Eastern time on Monday.
Families of hostages and their supporters have gathered in Central Park each Sunday since the terrorist attack in Israel on October 7, 2023. Dana Weigrach, co-founder of the Hostage Families Forum, remained hopeful about a hostage deal to be finalized on Monday.
An international effort to recover the bodies of the missing is expected to commence amid the ceasefire, but Israel has indicated that this could take over ten days to conclude.
While the number of bodies lost by Hamas and its extremist allies following the October 7 attack remains uncertain, the crowd in Central Park celebrated the approach of the exchange with chants of “They’re coming back!”
The hostages, held for 737 days, are believed to have suffered torture and malnutrition while in captivity. Survivors have recounted horrific experiences, claiming they were subjected to beatings, starvation, and psychological torment at the hands of Hamas.
After their release, the hostages are expected to receive medical treatment at an Israeli facility, similar to those previously freed who arrived with injuries and severe malnutrition.
Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine is prepared to utilize advanced methods, including fingerprints and DNA analysis, for identifying the released bodies, a process that might take several days.
In a previous hostage exchange, an error led to Hamas delivering the body of an unidentified Palestinian woman instead of her murdered mother, sparking outrage globally and threatening an already fragile ceasefire.
Like many at the Central Park gathering, Bashar expressed her thanks to President Trump for facilitating the ceasefire that aimed to bring about the hostages’ swift return.
“Ultimately, he signed the contract,” remarked Dana Weigrach. “All we can do is show our gratitude to the Trump administration.”
While optimistic about the upcoming release, Kreigrach acknowledged a lingering apprehension stemming from the collapse of the last ceasefire. “It’s a highly emotional moment, but it’s not truly over until we see them in Israel,” she concluded.
