Philissa Cramer

All 20 of the Israeli hostages still alive two years after being taken hostage by Hamas have returned to Israel, following an emotional morning that commanded the attention of Jews around the world who had lobbied for their release.

Unlike in past hostage releases, Hamas did not stage release “ceremonies,” a condition of the deal the group in charge of Gaza made in striking a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal last week. But in another departure, the group provided phones for hostages waiting for Red Cross vehicles to use to call their families, creating jarring scenes of joyful conversations taking place with masked terrorists visible on screen.

The family of Bar Kupershtein released a video of him telling his ecstatic mother, “It’s OK, Mom. Don’t worry.”

Einav Zangauker, th

See Full Page