In a moment that many thought might never come, the last 20 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas were returned to Israel this week, reuniting with their families after more than two years in captivity. The emotional homecomings, widely covered by international media, capped off a harrowing saga that began with the attacks of October 7, 2023, when Hamas and its allies seized some 230 hostages. According to Mondoweiss and other outlets, the survivors endured years marked by privation, war, and the constant threat of violence—a reality that claimed the lives of many of their fellow captives during Israeli raids and ongoing hostilities.
The release of these hostages was not a simple act of goodwill. Instead, it was the centerpiece of a sweeping prisoner exchange and ceasefire deal that saw Israel free 2,000 Palestinian prisoners—including more than 20 deceased hostages—in exchange for the 20 living Israelis. As reported by The Atlantic, the agreement also included a halt to Israeli bombing in Gaza, though ground operations continue for alleged ceasefire violations, and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have withdrawn from some previously occupied areas in Gaza.
Yet, the cost of this exchange has been staggering. Leaked Israeli sources cited by The Atlantic estimate that at least 67,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, with more than 80 percent of those casualties being civilians. Gaza, once a bustling strip of land, now lies in ruins, its future uncertain and its residents still subject to severe aid restrictions imposed by Israel, which claims that Hamas has not returned all the bodies of deceased hostages. The ongoing blockade, according to human rights groups, continues to punish the broader Gazan population for the actions of a few, keeping humanitarian needs at a crisis level.
On the Palestinian side, the exchange was bittersweet. During the ceasefire celebrations in Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt, 1,968 Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons, according to Mondoweiss. Of these, 88 were released into the West Bank, 154 were deported to Egypt, and the remainder returned to Gaza. Notably, 250 of the released prisoners had been serving life sentences for charges related to armed activity. However, the joy of release is tempered by the reality that over 9,100 Palestinians remain in Israeli prisons, including 3,544 held under a controversial system known as administrative detention. This system allows Israel to imprison individuals for up to six months without charge or trial, with the possibility of indefinite renewals based on secret evidence inaccessible to both detainees and their lawyers.
Ayah Shreiteh, spokesperson for the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, told Mondoweiss that administrative detainees now represent the largest category of Palestinians in Israeli prisons. She highlighted that around 1,000 Palestinians are currently held without trial or even an administrative detention order, some for months on end. For those convicted, the most common charges are related to political activity, protests, or stone-throwing. Since October 2023, however, the charge of “incitement”—which can encompass anything from a social media post to raising a political flag—has become the most frequent basis for detention.
The conditions inside Israeli prisons have drawn widespread condemnation from human rights organizations. Milena Ansari of Human Rights Watch explained to Mondoweiss that, “The restriction of Palestinians’ detention conditions was part of the political agenda of Israel’s National Security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir.” She added, “Since he came into office [in 2022], human rights groups and even the UN have been reporting on these restrictions, well before 2023.” According to Ansari, overcrowding, food shortages, and medical neglect were already problems before October 7, but they worsened dramatically afterward. “The food offered to Palestinians in Israeli jails became limited to dry food and beans lacking in most basic nutrients,” she said, noting that “several human rights groups, including Israel’s Physicians for Human Rights, reported that there has been political intervention by Israeli politicians to determine the type of medical treatment that Palestinian prisoners receive, limiting the role of prison clinic doctors to basic nursing.”
Firsthand accounts from recently released prisoners paint a grim picture. One former detainee described being beaten with batons during cell raids, while another recounted being denied medical treatment for a year, only receiving painkillers. Amir Abu Raddaha, released during a previous prisoner exchange, told Mondoweiss that after October 7, authorities confiscated all books and electronic devices, and meals were reduced to meager rations—sometimes only a spoonful of yogurt and a piece of bread for breakfast. Overcrowding became severe, with cells designed for six people holding up to twelve, forcing many to sleep on the floor. Family visits have been banned for two years, and even access to lawyers has become increasingly difficult.
Despite a recent Israeli High Court ruling in favor of halting some of the harshest restrictions—specifically on food—National Security Minister Ben-Gvir and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have vocally opposed any easing of conditions. “We are all at war, and you, too, are at war,” Netanyahu declared, as reported by Mondoweiss. “We will not change the detention conditions of terrorists.”
Meanwhile, the political landscape remains volatile. Hamas, weakened but not destroyed, refuses to disarm, while Israel demands its complete dissolution. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has put forward a plan for Gaza’s future administration that envisions a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee overseeing daily affairs, with a so-called “Board of Peace” chaired by Trump and managed by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. This international authority would be responsible for Gaza’s reconstruction, drawing inspiration from the rapid development of Gulf cities—though, as The Atlantic notes, Gaza lacks the oil wealth that fueled those urban miracles.
An Arab-led peacekeeping force, initially supported by U.S. troops, is slated to replace the IDF in Gaza, with the stated goal of preventing further Palestinian expulsions and controlling weapons. The Palestinian Authority is expected to play a limited role, helping select local administrators and providing border guards at the Rafah crossing with Egypt. However, real power is expected to remain in the hands of the international authority, leaving many Palestinians skeptical about the prospects for genuine self-determination.
Despite the celebratory rhetoric at the ceasefire signing in Egypt and Trump’s triumphalist speech to the Israeli Knesset, the future of Palestinian statehood remains as uncertain as ever. Eleven more countries recognized a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September 2025, but Israel continues to expand settlements in the West Bank and has flatly rejected any immediate move toward Palestinian sovereignty. Trump’s peace plan speaks of “a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood,” but offers no concrete timeline—pushing the goal ever further into the future.
As Israel prepares for the 2026 elections, Prime Minister Netanyahu faces mounting challenges, including public anger over the October 7 security failures, ongoing corruption charges, and the diminishing influence of far-right parties that once propped up his government. Yet, as The Atlantic observes, whoever emerges victorious is unlikely to accept a Palestinian state without immense international pressure.
For now, the prisoner exchange and ceasefire may bring a measure of relief, but for both Israelis and Palestinians, the deeper issues remain unresolved. As Gaza struggles to rebuild and thousands remain behind bars, the world’s attention must not waver from the fundamental need for justice, dignity, and a lasting peace.