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Hamas Holds No Living Hostages For First Time In Two Years; Final 13 Living Hostages In Custody Of Israeli Military. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired October 13, 2025 - 04:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[04:33:59]

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome back to CNN's breaking news coverage as we are covering a historic moment here in Israel because for the first time in two years, over two years, 738 days, Hamas holds no living hostages in its captivity for the first time.

We are still waiting word on when the bodies of the deceased hostages that were still in Hamas's captivity and hands will be handed over to their families and to their loved ones here in Israel, something that they have stressed is just as important as bringing home the live hostages.

But we have confirmed all 20 live hostages have now been handed over to the Israeli Defense Forces and marking a pivotal moment in a ceasefire that the President confirmed had been brokered last Thursday. And now here we are on Monday morning and we have seen these 20 live hostages handed over and returned to Israeli soil. We're waiting for all that to be finalized as we are seeing what their condition is and what this looks like.

CNN's Clarissa Ward is in Hostages Square where Clarissa, I know every time hostages had been released by Hamas and handed over to the Red Cross and then eventually to the IDF, you've been hearing cheers there in Hostages Square from all the people who've been gathered for hours and waiting for this moment.

[04:35:14]

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): That's right, Kaitlan. Some of them have been here since 4 or 5 in the morning. And as you mentioned, every single time news comes, the hostages have been handed over to the International Red Cross. The hostages have been handed over now to the IDF. The hostages are now back in Israel.

You hear these just sort of jubilant cheers erupting throughout the crowd. This is a moment that everybody here in this country has been waiting for -- for some 737 days. Many of the people who are here today have been coming to this square every single week to demand an end to the keeping of these hostages. This was a moment that they have been dreaming of. They didn't know when it was going to finally happen. And now they are watching it play out in real time. They are witnessing history.

And there were sort of some surreal moments as well, Kaitlan, like when Hamas gave phones to some of the hostages before they were handed over to the Red Cross to call, video call their loved ones. And you saw these images and videos of family members talking to their loved ones with Hamas militants in the background of these video calls. And again, everybody here cheering so loudly because these are the first glimpses that they're getting of many of these.

Some of the hostages have been featured in these sort of macabre hostage videos put out by Hamas for propaganda purposes. Some of them, of course, when they were released in the past, were incredibly emaciated.

And so, there were a lot of concerns about what the condition of these hostages would be coming out. Obviously, they'll now be taken to a number of hospitals after that initial assessment to get a better sense of what kind of medical care they might need. Not only, of course, physical care, but mental care. These hostages have been through a profound trauma. And having interviewed some of the hostages who have been released, I think this will actually be the beginning of a difficult time for them as well because they have poured their entire beings into campaigning around the clock for all the hostages to be released.

And now might actually be the first moment after the initial jubilation wears off of sitting still, of standing still, of absorbing everything that has happened over the past two years. But for this moment right now, on this historic day, people here in Hostage Square are very much focused on welcoming those hostages home and, crucially, Kaitlan, on welcoming U.S. President Donald Trump, who has also been given a hero's welcome. Anytime he's seen up on that split screen behind me, anytime his name is mentioned, the crowd erupts in tears. There are posters of him everywhere.

People have made gifts for him as a show of their gratitude because they believe that it really was the President himself who was able to railroad this through and push it past the finish line so that these people, in this square at least, can close the chapter on a very dark and ugly two years.

Kaitlan?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Before we go back to Kaitlan, Clarissa, it's Wolf. It's clear that it's like a celebration where you are over there at Hostage Square. They're playing music, popular songs in Israel. We see a lot of young people even dancing right there. This is a happy, celebratory day for so many Israelis right now as all of these 20 surviving hostages have now been handed over through the International Red Cross to Israel. They're back in Israel, and they're in the process of meeting up with their families and eventually going to get some medical treatment at hospitals, full examinations coming up.

But it's a big celebratory day, and you can sense that, what's going on where you are, Clarissa, right?

WARD (on-camera): Oh, absolutely. You can hear the music behind me. You can probably see people are dancing, they're waving flags. There are people of all ages, of all political persuasions who are here in this square today. We've seen people bringing their pets, and you have these moments of spontaneous eruption, of jubilation.

But I should also say, and you can probably hear it marked with the music too, there are pauses of sadness too, and grief, because there are hostages who will not be coming home alive today. There are hostages who will be coming home in coffins. There are hostages whose remains have not yet even been located.

[04:40:12]

But at this moment, you can hear that applause, you can see the images of those 20 hostages, all alive, all now, back in Israel, Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, it's really amazing what's going on. It's such a difference.

And, you know, it's interesting because, you know, you reminded me, Kaitlan, when we were here a few years ago, we were at Hostage Square --

COLLINS: Yes.

BLITZER: -- and it was just sad, not only at Hostage Square, but all over. We walked around Tel Aviv, and the stores were basically closed. There weren't a lot of happy people, no smiles, as a result of what had just happened.

COLLINS: And, you know, I keep thinking, Wolf, as we're watching these amazing moments, like we just saw with Lashai, whose husband, Omri, is coming home. He is one of the first seven hostages that was released earlier today. The 28 remaining hostages who have not yet been returned, we know are deceased.

And I've been speaking with several of those families who know that their loved one is not coming back to them alive. And it just is -- it's heartbreaking to think that the remaining 28 hostages that will come out of Gaza, the final ones that are being held by Hamas, will come out in coffins. And, you know, you were speaking with Rachel Goldberg-Polin earlier, who I just think has been incredibly eloquent during all of this, to deal with so much grief and pain.

And it's such a bittersweet moment for them to see these families that are so happy, but also have to reckon with their own grief on a day like today.

BLITZER: And the bodies have not yet been returned. But that's really important for so many of these families. They want, according to the Jewish religion, a proper Jewish burial for their loved ones. And they're not going to be able to do that until they get the remains. And that's what they're waiting for.

COLLINS: And typically, you would do that so soon --

BLITZER: Yes.

COLLINS: -- after a death, right, Wolf?

BLITZER: Within a day or two or three, you're supposed to bury and have a formal Jewish burial service and say the Kaddish and say the prayers. And that's what they want to do for their loved ones who are coming back in just in coffins, if you will.

COLLINS: Well, and it reminds me of in the aftermath of October 7th, as we think about what a devastating day that was and where we are now, we spoke with some of the families. I spoke to one son whose parents and his little brother had been in a kibbutz and they were killed by Hamas that day in their home, and they could not bury them immediately.

And this was a young man. He was probably 22 years old. And he was telling me how devastating that was, because that is so important.

BLITZER: Yes.

COLLINS: And he knew it would be so important to his parents. So to have that denied for two years to these families is devastating.

BLITZER: It's so heartbreaking to these families, indeed.

All right. You know, we're waiting for the President of the United States. He's going to be speaking momentarily before the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. We're going to have live coverage. I'm anxious to hear what he has to say.

He says, as you know, the war is over. Let's see if it really is.

COLLINS: Yes. And he said that in front of Prime Minister Netanyahu as he arrived, which says a lot as well, because Netanyahu has not gone that far yet.

BLITZER: Well, there's a ceasefire that seems to be fully taking effect. Let's hope it does.

All right. We'll take a quick break. Much more of our special coverage coming up right after this.

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[04:47:51]

BLITZER: All right, the important news that we're following going into this day I was believed there were 20, 20 living Israeli hostages. We know that earlier in the day seven of them were released now back in the hands of the IDF, of the Israel Defense Forces. And now we are told more good news, the other 13 have been returned as well. So, all 20 of the surviving Israeli hostages are now back in the hands of Israel.

Jeremy Diamond is joining us. He's been watching all of this very much unfold. What else are you learning Jeremy?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): Wolf, we'll foreseeing the minute-by-minute developments as they're happening here at the Re'im Military Base right near the Gaza border. Behind me here over my left shoulder, you can see this tent that's been positioned near one of these helicopters that is awaiting.

Moments ago, we just saw a van that was had blacked out tinted windows, pull up to that tent and presumably the newly freed Israeli hostages, some of them would have boarded that helicopter, if we see that helicopter take off shortly, I think that will serve as confirmation that those hostages, at least the first few of them are on their way to Israeli hospitals in the center of Israel.

We've seen that happen already at least twice so far, a third bus was making its way around as well, and this is the kind of procedure that we have seen play out in the past. But as you said Wolf, all 20 newly released Israeli hostages are now in the hands of the Israeli military at least seven of them are indeed on Israeli soil at the Re'im Military Base behind me or in these awaiting helicopters.

But it will be a huge sigh of relief, of course to the entire -- entirety of this country to know now that those last 20 living Israeli hostages are now either on Israeli soil or with the Israeli military effectively back and tasting freedom for the first time now in more than two years.

Wolf.

BLITZER: And very quickly Jeremy now that these living Israeli hostages are where you are at the Re'im Israeli Military Base, I assume some of their family members are there. They're hugging, they're kissing, they're welcoming each other, to be sure.

Do we know how many family members are actually meeting with surviving Israeli hostages?

[04:50:21]

DIAMOND (on-camera): Typically what we see, Wolf, are a couple of family members, the closest relatives, who will come here to this Re'im Military Base. And in fact, I just want to turn the camera here a little bit, because you can see one of those other shuttle buses, again with blacked out tinted windows, is pulling up here.

And you can see that tent that is being moved. That is to provide some privacy for these newly freed Israeli hostages. You're probably going to see that tent be positioned right to the rear of this large military transport helicopter. And then shortly thereafter, you'll see the bus pull right up to the edge of that tent, giving us really no clear view on these newly freed hostages.

And then they will be put into these helicopters and then taken on their way to three hospitals in the Tel Aviv area that have already been preparing for the arrival of all 20 of these Israeli hostages. And so, this process very much underway. They've spent some time with their families at this Re'im Base. They've gotten initial medical evaluations and psychological evaluations. The fact that they spent some time here and didn't immediately fly to those hospitals in central Israel is a good sign, because we had been told that should they require immediate medical attention, they would indeed be taken, rushed to those hospitals immediately by helicopter once they were received by the Israeli military.

So, the fact that they spent some time here and now their transport to those hospitals in the Tel Aviv area is underway, all of that is a very good sign about their basic state of well-being, Wolf.

But again, they will obviously undergo a battery of tests and treatment as required once they arrive at those hospitals in Tel Aviv.

BLITZER: And they'll be heading to those hospitals very, very soon, once again, as you say, by helicopter to start getting medical attention, medical treatment.

Dara (ph), we'll take another quick break. We're standing by. We're about to hear from the President of the United States. He's getting ready to address the Israeli parliament, the Knesset.

Much more of our breaking news coverage right after this.

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[04:56:53]

COLLINS: And we are back on the ground here in Israel covering breaking news as we're waiting for President Trump to address the Israeli parliament any moment now.

And we're getting new reporting into CNN, as we have confirmed from three sources familiar with the discussion that President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu have discussed since he's been here in Israel. Netanyahu attending that summit that is going to happen with key world leaders in Egypt this afternoon on the future of Gaza, signing this agreement and this brokered ceasefire. And we are told that Netanyahu is considering attending that summit.

Obviously, Wolf, that would be incredibly significant if he does. We know the Palestinian Authority president is going to be there. And before, it wasn't really a question of Netanyahu attending. And now we're told that the President talked about it with him and that Netanyahu is considering going to the summit.

BLITZER: Very significant because Netanyahu is not invited to begin with. President El-Sisi of Egypt and other world leaders are putting this to all together, together with President Trump. But now it looks like that Netanyahu may actually go with Trump to Egypt for this important summit to work out the implementation of the ceasefire.

COLLINS: Yes, I mean, this day and this visit just got a whole lot more interesting, Wolf, as we'll be watching that very closely. And thank you very much. As we are continuing to cover all of this breaking news here at CNN.

BLITZER: A lot more coming up.

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