When Hamas delivered the first news that the hostages would be released on October 13 (these hostages were held in Gaza two years later), hundreds of people gathered in Tel Aviv¡¯s Hostage Square with joy, tears and songs.

Many arrived at sunrise with pictures of the hostages and waving Israeli flags attached to yellow ribbons, a symbol of the campaign calling for their release.

Ms. Noga, wearing a badge with the inscription ¡°Last Day,¡± shared her pain and joy with AFP.

She said: ¡°I¡¯m both excited and sad for those who won¡¯t come back.¡±

On October 7, 2023, Hamas and its armed allies launched an unprecedented attack, taking 251 hostages to Gaza.

Many of them were released under previous ceasefires, but the 47 detained on October 7 remain in Gaza. Only 20 of them are still alive.

Since then, Ms. Noga has been wearing a small badge every day, counting the days of her imprisonment.

In the past two years, there have been frequent rallies and gatherings in Tel Aviv Square, now known as the Hostage Square.

For months, it has been the nerve center of the hostage rescue operation.

Cheers and singing erupted in the square when news broke that the first seven had been released.

The Hostages and Disappeared Families Forum is the main organization representing the prisoners¡¯ relatives, which calls for people to gather on the scene, reminding them of the yellow thread.

As the war in the Gaza Strip continues, ribbons can be seen everywhere in public places in Israel, from roundabouts to car door handles and stroller handles.

¡°Our struggle is not over until the last hostage is found and sent back to burial, and it is our moral responsibility. Only then will the people of Israel be complete,¡± the forum said in a statement.

Emily Moutti, a former Labour MP and one of the founders of the forum, told AFP that she was ¡°very touched,¡± pointing to the crowd and holding tears.

Israeli television broadcast images of previous rallies held in the same location on a giant screen.

On October 13, the song ¡°Habayta¡± (Hebrew for ¡°home¡±) circulated through speakers caused a different resonance in the crowd as people for the first time in months hoped that the hostage would return home was about to come true.

The song dates back to the 1980s and was originally dedicated to Israeli soldiers fighting in Lebanon.

The return of the hostages to Israel marks the first step in the U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s mediated ceasefire plan.

In exchange, Israel will release 2,000 prisoners detained in its prisons, most of whom are Gaza nationals detained since the beginning of the war.