"Welcome Back": Netanyahu's Handwritten Note In Welcome Kits For Hostages

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, have added a personal message for the hostages, who were released by Palestinian group Hamas after over two years, to the welcome kits prepared for them.

"On behalf of the entire people of Israel, welcome back! We have been waiting for you. We embrace you. Sara and Benjamin Netanyahu," the handwritten note in Hebrew said.

Netanyahu's office shared the picture of the note on X and said the welcome kits for returning hostages include clothing and personal equipment like a laptop, a mobile phone, and a tablet.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara added a personal message for the returning hostages to the welcome kits prepared for them by the Prime Minister's Office Hostages Authority and include clothing and personal equipment, a laptop computer, a cellphone and a tablet pic.twitter.com/dk4QMDiFkP

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 13, 2025

Hamas, which attacked Israeli towns on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages, has released 20 Israeli hostages under the first phase of a ceasefire agreement with Israel.

The names included Bar Abraham Kupershtein, Evyatar David, Yosef-Chaim Ohana, Segev Kalfon, Avinatan Or, Elkana Bohbot, Maxim Herkin, Nimrod Cohen, Matan Angrest, Matan Zangauker, Eitan Horn, Eitan Abraham Mor, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Omri Miran, Alon Ohel, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Rom Braslavski, Ariel Cunio, and David Cunio.

Under US President Donald Trump's proposed roadmap, Hamas is to release all the remaining 47 hostages, living and dead.

Once the group hands over the surviving hostages, Israel will begin releasing around 2,000 detainees in exchange.

Trump, who declared this morning that the "war is over" in Gaza, is on his way to Israel and is due to meet the families of hostages.

After Israel, Trump will visit Egypt, where he and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will co-host a summit of more than 20 world leaders to back his plan to end the war in Gaza and promote Middle East peace.

Under the plan, as Israel conducts a partial withdrawal from Gaza, it will be replaced by a multi-national force coordinated by a US-led command centre in Israel.

Israel-Hamas War In Gaza

Israel seized the Gaza Strip in 1967 and maintained a military presence in the territory until 2005, when it pulled out its settlers and troops.

A year later, Hamas won parliamentary elections and seized full control of Gaza in 2007.

Major fighting then flared in Gaza in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2021.

The deadliest war in Gaza began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. More than 67,000 people and about 2 million people were then displaced in Israel's retaliatory strikes.