fbpx

GET HOME DELIVERY! CLICK HERE »

ADVERTISE
pick up locations
HOME DELIVERY
donate

Jewish Journal

Connect. Inform. Inspire.

October 15, 2025

Countdown to Freedom: How the Last 20 Living Hostages Returned to Israel

Featured, Israel, News /

For the first time in 738 days, Israel could say that all of its remaining living hostages were back on Israeli soil.

Operation “Returning Home,” launched by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Oct. 12, concluded the next day with the return of 20 survivors and the repatriation of four bodies from Gaza (as of press time). The final convoy of IDF and Shin Bet vehicles crossed back into Israel in the early hours of Tuesday morning, concluding the hostage crisis.

The hostages came home in two separate convoys, with confirmations of them crossing into Israel separated by about two hours and 20 minutes.

Just before 8:00 AM Israel time, Israeli Air Force helicopters were in place near southern Gaza as the Red Cross was en route to northern Gaza to receive the first convoy of hostages.

The operation’s plans were opaque to the public, with few details coming out in real time. 

Back in the U.S., this was all taking place in the early morning hours (Israel is 10 hours ahead of Los Angeles, and seven hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast). Speculation ran rampant across social media throughout the night on when exactly it would be time to celebrate.

Relatives and friends of hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal embrace as they learn the news of his release on October 13, 2025 in Ra’anana, Israel. (Photo by Dima Vazinovich/Getty Images)

At 9:11 a.m. Israel time, the IDF confirmed that first seven returning hostages — Matan Angrest (22), Guy Gilboa-Dalal (24), Alon Ohel (24), Eitan Avraham Mor (25), Gali Berman (28), Ziv Berman (28), and Omri Miran (47) — were “being escorted by IDF and ISA forces back to Israel for medical assessment.”

Many social media accounts mistook those IDF statements to mean that the hostages were back on Israeli soil, safe and sound. This only became more rampant as photos started circulating of the families doing FaceTime calls with their loved ones — no longer captive by Hamas — but at this point, still not back in Israel. 

At 9:35 AM Israel time Monday, the IDF confirmed that the first seven hostages had left Gaza and were back into Israel, and were en route to the initial reception center in southern Israel. Just before 10:00 a.m., the Red Cross headed to a meeting point in southern Gaza for further transfers. In Israel, the seven hostages were undergoing medical evaluation and families started to be briefed and reunited. An hour and a half later, at 11:28 AM, the Red Cross confirmed 13 additional hostages transferred to its custody. Fifteen minutes later, the 13 had been transferred to an IDF and ISA convoy, still making its way out of Gaza. 

At 11:55 a.m. Israel time, the IDF confirmed the news the world had waited nearly two years to hear: “There are no more living Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity.”

In the second convoy were Nimrod Cohen (21), Rom Braslavski (21), Bar Kupershtein (23), Evyatar David (24), Yosef-Chaim Ohana (25), Matan Zangauker (25), Segev Kalfon (27), Ariel Cunio (28), Avinatan Or (32), David Cunio (35), Elkana Bohbot (36), Maksym Harkin (37), and Eitan Horn (39).

Former hostage Evyatar David gestures to the crowd outside Beilinson Hospital in the Rabin Medical Centre after the surviving Israeli hostages were released from Gaza on October 13, 2025 in Petah Tikva, Israel. (Photo by Dima Vazinovich/Getty Images)

Over the next 20 minutes, the 13 freed hostages in the second convoy were airlifted by helicopter to hospitals across Israel. 

By sunrise in Washington, D.C., those who had not stayed up all night following the scant official news reports on the hostages’ status woke to news they had been waiting for: videos of former hostages reuniting with their families began to surface online. 

Reunion Videos Circulate

Families of hostages waited through the night at military bases and hospitals all over Israel for official word. Among the first confirmed to have survived was Matan Zangauker, whose mother Einav received a phone call from him before his release. “You are coming back home. You are all coming home. I love you,” she told The Independent. “The war is over. There is no more war.” 

Gaza hostage Bar Kupershtein arrives at Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer on October 13, 2025 in Ramat Gan, Israel. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

Bar Kupershtein, 23, who was working as a medic at the Nova Music Festival when he was abducted, was also among those returned. His mother, Julie, told The Guardian. “Seeing my child after two years — everything is fine. Thank you to the soldiers, thank you to everyone.” His father, Tal, who suffered a stroke five years earlier, got out of his wheelchair to embrace him. “It was the first time he had stood since surgery,” the family said in a statement. “Two years during which Tal kept moving forward, doing everything possible despite his own challenges — all so he could be ready for that hug with Bar.”

Matan Angrest, 22, made a FaceTime call to former hostage Keith Siege (65). The pair had been held captive together until Siegel was released in February of this year. 

Omri Miran (48) was reunited with his wife Lishay and their daughters Roni (4) and Alma (2) at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikvah. He had been abducted in front of them during the Oct. 7 attacks. The Times of Israel reported that his daughters played beside him during his medical check, and he saw Alma walk and say “Abba” for the first time.

Then came more scenes from hospitals where other hostages were reuniting with their families.

Among the most widely shared reunions was that of Avinatan Or (32) and Noa Argamani (28), whose abduction from the Nova Festival had become one of the defining images of Oct. 7.  Argamani was rescued from Gaza with three others by Israeli forces on June 8, 2024. Sixteen months later, following Or’s release from Hamas captivity, a video from the Israeli government showed Or first embracing his parents, his mother reciting the Shehecheyanu, before walking into a room where Argamani was waiting. The two hugged and kissed.

Released hostage David Cunio walks with his wife, former hostage, Sharon Aloni-Cunio after arriving at Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer on October 13, 2025 in Ramat Gan, Israel. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

 

Twenty-one year-old Nimrod Cohen from Kibbutz Nir Oz was the youngest IDF soldier taken hostage by Hamas when his tank was attacked near the Gaza border. Over the past two years, testimonies from rescued and released hostages said that Nimrod was confined in a small cage, shackled and repeatedly interrogated about his military role. Fellow captives said he suffered from skin infections, hearing loss and malnutrition. Despite this, he managed to send a message through intermediaries earlier this year: “I am okay. Don’t worry. I love you.”

Nimrod’s aunt, Noga, told YNet News, “Physically he is thin and weak, pale and has not seen sunlight. You can see on his face that he went through a difficult period and we fear that he also endured torture. Despite all this, I saw his smile. Nimrod is a quiet and gentle boy with a half-shy smile that says it all. We are so happy to see him and that he held on for two years in such conditions.” Cohen was transferred to Sheba Medical Center, where doctors said his recovery would require “a long and careful process.” 

Netanyahu and Trump Address Knesset 

During this time, U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the Knesset and officially declared that the war was over and the living hostages were home. 

“We remember the 1,200 people Hamas savages slaughtered in cold blood, including dozens of Americans,” Netanyahu said during his 28-minute speech. “We remember entire families burned alive as they embraced each other. We remember the beautiful young Israelis brutally gunned down at the Nova Music Festival. We remember the hundreds of our citizens dragged into the dungeons of Gaza, including 12 Americans. These monsters took babies as hostages.”

At one point, Netanyahu made reference to the lyrics of Israel’s national anthem, “Hatikvah,” “Hope is our national anthem, hope is our creed, hope is our strength,” Netanyahu said. “It is time, my friends, to realize that hope and to expand the circle of peace.”

Trump then addressed the Knesset where, over the course of a 66-minute speech, he celebrated the living hostages’ return, praised Netanyahu and Israel’s military, credited U.S Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner for negotiations, claimed credit for striking Iran’s nuclear program, criticized former U.S. Presidents Obama and Biden, and spoke about expanding the Abraham Accords and rebuilding Gaza through Arab funding.

“Let me also convey my tremendous appreciation for all of the nations of the Arab and Muslim world that came together to press Hamas to set the hostages free and to send them home,” Trump said. “We had a lot of help. We had a lot of help from a lot of people that you wouldn’t suspect, and I want to thank them very much for that. It’s an incredible triumph for Israel and the world to have all of these nations working together as partners in peace. And it’s pretty unusual for you to see that, but it happened in this case.”

Present in the gallery at the Knesset was California State Senator Henry Stern (D-Malibu), who had attended multiple hostage solidarity events since October 2023. In a statement, Stern said, “Israel’s fight to bring its people home has reminded the world that we don’t stop searching for one another. The courage of the hostages and the endurance of their families represent the best of what our shared humanity can achieve.”

As the returning hostages arrived at hospitals across Israel, IDF and Shin Bet teams prepared for a second, more somber transfer. At 5:01 p.m., the IDF reported that the Red Cross was heading to southern Gaza to receive the coffins of deceased hostages. By 6:15 p.m., two coffins had been transferred, with two more expected. At 7:33 p.m., the Red Cross confirmed all four had been received. Shortly after 8 p.m., IDF and ISA forces escorted the caskets into Israel, holding a brief military ceremony in Gaza where soldiers draped them in Israeli flags, saluted, and recited a psalm before accompanying the families to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine for identification.

On Tuesday, Oct. 14, the IDF said its representatives had notified the families of Guy Illouz (26) and Nepalese national Bipin Joshi (23) that they were among the four bodies repatriated. Two of the names were withheld pending identification, and the IDF urged the public “to act with sensitivity and wait for official confirmation before publishing any details.”

At 10:39 p.m. Israel time on Tuesday, the IDF released a further statement: “According to information provided by the Red Cross, four coffins of deceased hostages have been transferred into their custody and are on their way to IDF and ISA forces in the Gaza Strip. Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the hostages.”

Outside Sheba Medical Center, relatives gathered behind barriers as buses and ambulances arrived under guard. Applause rippled through the compound as families held photos of loved ones who did not return. Volunteers passed out water and Israeli flags. Children who had spent half their lives waiting gripped yellow ribbons in their hands.

In Tel Aviv, crowds filled Hostage Square, waving flags and singing as yellow ribbons once again lined the plaza.

Countdown to Freedom: How the Last 20 Living Hostages Returned to Israel Read More »

Newsom Signs AB 715, Law Targeting Antisemitism in California Schools

Community /

After a nine-month battle, Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed AB 715, legislation that aims to strengthen anti-discrimination protections in K–12 public schools on Oct. 7, the second anniversary of Hamas’ attacks on Israel.

Newsom said the new law “establishes a new Office of Civil Rights and creates an Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator to develop training, resources, and enforcement strategies for K–12 schools.” It “requires school districts to investigate and take corrective action when discriminatory content is used in classrooms or professional development,” adding, “Every student in California deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued at school.”

The law will create“distinct discrimination prevention coordinators, including the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator, in an effort to ensure students are free from all forms of discrimination.”

Newsom tied the law to his administration’s earlier efforts, writing, “Antisemitism is a historic scourge and needs to be addressed aggressively, which is why my Administration established the Golden State Plan to Counter Antisemitism in April 2024.” He noted that “in partnership with the Jewish Caucus and the Legislature, our combined efforts have led the Anti-Defamation League to recognize California as ‘a national leader in combating antisemitism.’”

Acknowledging the months of debate that preceded the bill’s passage, Newsom wrote, “Representatives from the entire education ecosystem — including teachers, administrators, school boards, school staff, students, and civil rights organizations — expressed deep commitment to the goals of the bill, along with urgent concerns about unintended consequences.”

The bill had three goals: improving the state complaint process (Uniform Complaint Procedures), establishing a statewide antisemitism response role, and expanding the definition of protected categories in K–12 discrimination law. Proponents said these changes benefit all students, not only Jewish students.

AB 715 also expands the definition of “nationality” to include shared ancestry and perceived ties to ethnic or religious identity, clarifies that religious discrimination includes antisemitism and Islamophobia, and strengthens the process by allowing direct state intervention when local investigations stall.

California Legislative Jewish Caucus (CLJC)

The California Legislative Jewish Caucus (CLJC) celebrated the passage.

“Today, California is sending a strong and unambiguous message — hate has no place in our schools and will not be tolerated,” Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D–Encino) and State Senator Scott Wiener (D–San Francisco), co-chairs of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, said. “We have been inspired by the leadership of our colleagues — and the incredible advocacy of Jewish students, parents, teachers, and leaders from across California — who fought tirelessly to protect Jewish children.”

Assemblymembers Rick Chavez Zbur (D–Hollywood) and Dawn Addis (D–Morro Bay) authored the bill.

In July, Zbur told The Journal, “We’ve been trying to pass legislation like this for more than three years. We can’t keep asking students to wait while hate incidents escalate in their schools. This bill benefits all students, not just Jewish students. When you strengthen complaint procedures and expand protections, you’re improving the school climate across the board. AB 715 is the product of collaboration between the Legislative Diversity Caucuses. It demonstrates solidarity and ensures that Jewish students, like every other student, have a safe and supportive school environment. … Jewish students deserve the same protections.” After Newsom’s signed the bill, Zbur said the law “demonstrates that the state will stand up for our Jewish students and community.”

Addis said, “I’m a mom and a teacher and I couldn’t be more grateful to Governor Newsom for signing AB 715. This is a historic first-in-the-nation effort that centers on the wellbeing of children across our state, many of whom bravely shared horrific stories about their experiences in our schools. When we hear what these kids and families have faced, it becomes impossible not to act.”

At an August press conference, students and educators described incidents of harassment in California schools.

Elham, a Bay Area student, said, “They called me ‘the Jew,’ they told me that my family is living on stolen land and yelled at me that I was a murderer and a terrorist. … I had to run away for my own safety. Finally, at the end of the semester, my parents withdrew me from the public school and enrolled me in a private Jewish school.”

Susie Sorkin, vice chair of the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California, said, “we finally have the chance to make major statewide reform to combat antisemitism in our schools. And when antisemitism is skyrocketing, we can’t wait any longer. The time to pass AB 715 is now.”

In a July 7 statement on X, the California Faculty Association, (CFA) expressed their opposition. “As educators, we will not be gaslit! … CFA is opposed to it, and we need you to call your senator to let them know. AB 715 does not protect—it silences.” The CFA is “comprised of 29,000 educators from across the California State University system. The group objected to the concept of a state-appointed Antisemitism Coordinator and said AB 715 poses “a grave risk to all schools and districts.”

The California Teachers Association (CTA), representing over 300,000 K-12 educators, also opposed AB 715.

In a July 3 letter to Pérez, although saying it was saying that while it “abhors and condemns antisemitism in any form,” the group opposed AB 715. The bill would “impose limits and define standards for course instruction regarding Israel, Palestine, Zionism, or the Israeli/Palestinian conflict,” in a way not applied to other global issues. The CTA also raised concerns about academic freedom.

A coalition of major Jewish organizations condemned the CTA for opposing the bill. In a joint statement on July 7, groups including the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC), the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Simon Wiesenthal Center. It accused the CTA of engaging in “hypocritical and misleading” tactics. “For years, the bill’s authors have engaged in good faith with CTA leadership to address their concerns,” the statement said. “Based on CTA’s feedback, we have since removed provisions, revised language and narrowed the bill’s scope — all while staying focused on protecting Jewish students. But each time we meet CTA’s demands, the goalposts move.”

An open letter circulated on June 17 by the Jewish Faculty Resilience Group (JFRG) touted over 1,200 signatories from faculty affiliated with California universities defending the bill. The letter said that “Curricula or teaching resources that discriminate or foster a hostile environment for Jewish or Israeli students must be rejected.”

AB 715 (and its Senate counterpart, SB 48) unanimously passed both chambers. The measure presented to Governor Newsom on Sept. 24.

JPAC executive director David Bocarsly called the Oct. 7 signing “a historic day for California’s Jewish community and for every child who has ever felt unsafe, unseen, or unwelcome at school … By signing AB 715, Governor Newsom has sent a clear and powerful message: antisemitism, like all forms of hate, has no place in our public schools, period. This law is more than policy – it is a promise that Jewish children, their families, and all students, deserve a great public education and classrooms free from hate and discrimination.”

Newsom Signs AB 715, Law Targeting Antisemitism in California Schools Read More »