From a hilltop village and across Israel: Tears of joy as the living hostages are returned

LAVON, Israel (AP) — It was a day of joy and tears across Israel. Families, loved ones and friends watched as Hamas released the last living hostages held captive for over two years in the Gaza Strip.

On day 738 since Alon Ohel was taken hostage, family and friends of the young music lover jumped to their feet, cheered, blew into shofars — traditional horns that announce glad tidings — and hugged each other when they saw his picture on a livestream among the seven hostages Hamas first released to the Red Cross on Monday morning.

“This is the best morning in my life. I just want to hug him,” Ohel’s cousin, Noam Rozen, 24, said before choking up.

By midday, 13 more hostages were freed, bringing the final number of the living hostages released to 20.

With other members of his family, and dozens of supporters cheering, Rozen took down one of the hostage posters that had long been hanging by the village’s entrance and replaced it with a banner saying in Hebrew: “Welcome back home — the heart returned to beating and now we can breathe.”

Hundreds had been packing the small community center of the hilltop village of Lavon in the Galilee since before dawn for one of the most important days of their lives — when the last 20 living hostages were scheduled to be released, first to the Red Cross and then to the Israeli military, as part of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

“I told God many months ago, ‘If Alon is coming home, I bring shofar and I say thank you for this,’” said Yaniv Shema Zion, who’s known Ohel since he was a toddler.

Wearing T-shirts emblazoned with pictures of Ohel, people from Lavon waved flags, sang hymns, hugged and wiped away tears before falling silent in front of the projected screen carrying images from Gaza of the release.

“Knowing Alon, there was no chance not to get him back with us,” his aunt, Nirit Ohel said, though she added the family was still worried about his health.

Alon Ohel had had shrapnel in his eye from the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on the bomb shelter in southern Israel where he had sought refuge.

People in Lavon jumped on chairs and shouted with joy when the first images of Ohel were broadcast, showing him thin but smiling.

People in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square sobbed as photos of the hostages reuniting with their families flashed on the large screens. The names and faces of the hostages and their families have become household names across Israel over the past two years.

Ohel was kidnapped at the Nova music festival from a mobile bomb shelter along with  Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli who was killed  in captivity in August 2024.

Eli Sharabi, another hostage held with Ohel and released in a previous ceasefire said they were kept chained, with only a moldy pita bread per day for food.

Ohel became a symbol of the hostage crisis because of his piano playing. At his mother initiative, pianos in his honor appeared across the country, including next to Jerusalem's city hall and in Tel Aviv's square devoted to the hostages.

“She wanted people to play and through it, to send their love to him,” Nirit Ohel said.

Another of Ohel’s aunts, Einat Rozen, said she was finally able to feel joy again, and praised the community’s support.

“Our community was with us all the time,” she said, tears streaming down her face.

The fate of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the attack on southern Israel just over two years ago, has weighed on every aspect of daily life in this country.

Hostage posters and stickers are plastered everywhere — from seaside promenades to countryside bus stops — and many Israelis have been wearing yellow ribbons on their lapels, their wrists, their cars and their gardens for more than two years.

Weekly vigils and protests were held in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and small communities like the Ohels' home of Lavon — 230 families in northern Galilee — bonded together to help the hostages' relatives. Tens of thousands gathered to watch news of the release.

The country erupted with joy on Monday morning when the first group of the last 20 living hostages still held in Gaza were seen transferred to the Red Cross as part of the ceasefire deal.

“I think what you are seeing here, the people that are celebrating in the square, something for me that is very Israeli, to see so many people gathering around to celebrate not the death of our enemies but the life of our people, of Israeli people,״ Gili Roman said as he and tens of thousands of others celebrated in Tel Aviv.

His sister Yarden Roman-Gat was freed from Gaza during the first ceasefire in November 2023 but his sister-in-law Carmel Gat was killed in captivity last year.

It’s the first step on a long journey to healing for the hostages, whose condition wasn’t immediately known. Another 28 who are believed deceased are also to be handed over to Israel as part of the deal, although when wasn’t clear.

Many Israelis feel that the country won’t fully begin to recover from its collective trauma until their remains are brought back as well, bringing closure to their families too.

Ruby Chen, father of Itay Chen, who is believed to be dead, said those with relatives who aren’t coming home alive will urge U.S. President Donald Trump not to forget them.

“The hostage families meeting President Trump today will express from the bottom of their heart their sincere gratitude,” Chen said. “However we will also highlight the mission is not complete and we will not be able to begin to rehabilitate without the last deceased hostage returned to his family.”

For observant Jews, Monday held an extra special meaning.

Both the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and the release of hostages overlapped with the Jewish people’s celebration of the holiday of Simchat Torah, which marks the beginning of a new annual cycle of the reading of the scrolls. It is one of the most joyous days of the Jewish calendar, with festive dancing around a Torah.

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 as hostages.

In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

Associated Press journalists Moshe Edri in Lavon, Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv and Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

People gather to watch a live broadcast of Israeli hostages released from Gaza at a plaza known as hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. The release took place as part of a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Family and friends of Israeli hostage Bar Kupershtein celebrate as they await the release of Kupershtein and other hostages from Hamas captivity in Gaza, in Holon, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People gather to watch a live broadcast of Israeli hostages released from Gaza at a plaza known as hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. The release took place as part of a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

People react as they gather to watch a live broadcast of Israeli hostages released from Gaza at a plaza known as hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. The release took place as part of a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa warmed up pretty quickly against the New York Jets and put his cold weather woes on ice.

Tagovailoa threw a touchdown pass to stay undefeated against his AFC East rivals, Miami rushed for three scores and the Dolphins ran away with a 34-10 victory Sunday for their fourth straight win. The defense also stifled an already struggling Jets offense.

“That's a formula to win games in December,” coach Mike McDaniel said.

Tagovailoa improved to 7-0 against the Jets as a starter and 8-0 overall in games in which he has played against the AFC East rivals. And with the temperature 41 degrees at kickoff, Tagovailoa moved to 1-7 in his career when the temperature is 46 or colder.

“I felt good, but it’s football," Tagovailoa said. “Whether it’s hot, whether it's cold, you've got to go out there and you've got to play.”

De'Von Achane ran for 92 yards and a touchdown before leaving in the second quarter with a rib injury following a 29-yard run, but McDaniel said the star running back could've returned in “an emergency.”

He wasn't needed, though. Jaylen Wright filled in and had a career-high 107 yards and his first NFL score. Rookie Ollie Gordon II also ran for a TD for Miami (6-7), which rushed for 239 yards overall and has won five of its last six to remain in the playoff hunt after starting the season 1-6.

“I don’t think I’ve been in the league where I’ve had a stretch necessarily like this one," Tagovailoa said, "in terms of the start to the year and finding that flow toward the later end of the year.”

Tagovailoa was 13 of 21 for 127 yards with a touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle before sitting for the final minutes with the game well in hand. Zach Wilson, New York's No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft, finished for Miami.

Zach Sieler had 2 1/2 of the Dolphins' six sacks of the Jets (3-10), who were officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss. It's the 15th straight year — the NFL's longest active drought — without a postseason appearance for New York.

“This game was definitely disappointing," first-year coach Aaron Glenn said. "Really hard to try to put this in words. The only thing I can say is I didn’t have these guys ready to play. That was obvious by the way we went out there and played.”

Undrafted rookie quarterback Brady Cook made his regular-season NFL debut for the Jets when he replaced the injured Tyrod Taylor with 3:39 remaining in the first quarter. Taylor left with what the team announced was a groin injury. Glenn didn't have an immediate update on Taylor, who was 1 for 4 for 6 yards and an interception.

Cook, who was Taylor's backup because Justin Fields was ruled out with knee soreness, was 14 of 30 for 163 yards and two interceptions. The rookie said he “absolutely” felt more comfortable as the game went on after a rough start.

“I think you definitely saw flashes there in the fourth quarter of us moving the ball," Cook said. "We need more of it.”

On Miami's opening drive, Tagovailoa was hit as he was throwing, but got enough on the pass to complete it to Waddle for a 3-yard touchdown that gave Miami a 7-0 lead.

Achane made it 14-0 a few minutes later with a 13-yard touchdown run to cap Miami's second possession.

“We knew they were going to come out fast and the biggest thing was us coming out fast, too,” Jets linebacker Quincy Williams said. “We didn't do that the first series. ... We didn't show up earlier.”

Tyrel Dodson gave the Dolphins the ball right back when Taylor's pass went off Mason Taylor's hands and right to the linebacker. It was originally called an incompletion, but McDaniel challenged the call and it was ruled via video review that Dodson kept the ball from hitting the ground for an interception by pinning it between his knees.

Tyrod Taylor, who made his third straight start in place of the benched Fields, was hurt on the play.

Isaiah Williams gave the Jets a spark when he returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown — his second score on a punt return this season — to make it 21-7 with 20 seconds left in the opening quarter.

Trailing 24-7 late in the third quarter, New York's special teams again came up big. With Austin McNamara set to punt on fourth-and-8, Malachi Moore took the direct snap and then lateraled to Isaiah Davis, who gained 20 yards and a first down.

The Jets' offense stalled, though, and New York settled for Nick Folk's 31-yard field goal.

Dolphins: LB Caleb Johnson left in the first quarter with a shoulder injury and didn't return. ... S Elijah Campbell was ruled out in the third with knee and ankle injuries.

Jets: Glenn said TE Mason Taylor has a stinger. ... TE Stone Smartt has a possible concussion. ... Rookie DE Tyler Baron was ruled out with a knee injury. ... Rookie LB Kiko Mauigoa cleared the concussion protocol, but didn’t return because of a shoulder injury.

Dolphins: Take on the Steelers in Pittsburgh next Monday night.

Jets: Travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars next Sunday.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Miami Dolphins cornerback Rasul Douglas (26) intercepts a pass intended for New York Jets wide receiver John Metchie III (3) at the goal line during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Miami Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II (31) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Jets quarterback Brady Cook (4) passes against the Miami Dolphins during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (28) carries the ball for a touchdown against New York Jets cornerback Brandon Stephens (21) during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) reacts during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)