On October 13th, 2025, all 20 living Israeli hostages returned from Hamas captivity. After two years, one month, and six days, families embraced loved ones they feared they might never see again.
However, as some families celebrated, others continued to wait. Hamas failed to return 19 deceased hostages whose families still cannot lay them to rest with dignity.
This carousel tells the story of what happened this week, the homecomings, the ongoing search, and why bringing every person home matters.
Bar Kupershtein survived by training his mind not to feel the beatings. Inbar Hayman fought back and was murdered. Muhammad el-Atrash’s 13 children waited 738 days to say goodbye to their father.
These are not statistics. They are sons and daughters, parents and partners, artists and soldiers.
In Jewish tradition, caring for the deceased is considered one of the highest acts of kindness, ‘chesed shel emet’, because the person cannot repay the kindness. Every hostage, living or fallen, deserves to come home.
Hamas has maintained they cannot locate the 19 who are still missing but the Israelis are sceptical. Until every family can grieve properly, the work continues.