Freed German-Israeli twin hostages meet for first time in two years

German-Israeli twin hostages Gali and Ziv Berman have met again for the first time in more than two years after being freed by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Monday under the terms of the US-backed peace deal for Gaza.

The 28-year-olds were abducted from an Israeli border town during the October 7, 2023 attacks and held captive separately for 738 days.

The Israeli military published a picture documenting their reunion following their release.

Four of the 20 hostages released on Monday are German-Israeli dual nationals. The bodies of 28 other captives are also due to be returned to Israel under the terms of the peace deal, but it is unclear when Hamas will be able to deliver them.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hailed the release of the living hostages as "the beginning of healing and a step on the road to peace in the Middle East."

"At last. After 738 days, the hostages return - including Germans," Merz wrote on X. "Two years of fear, pain and hope lie behind them. Today, families can finally embrace their loved ones again."

He added: "The murdered hostages must also return home so that their families can say goodbye with dignity."

Merz is among world leaders travelling to the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday to attend a signing ceremony to seal the peace deal, three days after a ceasefire came into force.

Berlin has pledged to support the implementation of the US-backed peace plan, and is expecting to play a role in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

The ceremony at the seaside resort is set to feature more than a dozen heads of state and government, including US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

UN Secretary General António Guterres and European Council President António Costa are also due to be present.

The declaration on the US peace plan will be signed by Trump, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

After the ceremony, al-Sissi will give a short welcome address and Trump a longer speech.

Merz is due to fly back to Berlin in the evening.

Steinmeier, Wadephul praise release of hostages

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also welcomed the developments on Monday.

"After more than two years in brutal captivity, more Hamas hostages are finally returning to Israel today," said Steinmeier.

Steinmeier's office said the president has "written to the released German hostages and expressed the hope that they will gradually be able to leave the consequences of the violence they have suffered behind them."

Wadephul told Deutschlandfunk radio that the release represented "a moment of joy, but also a moment of trepidation, because of course we know that some are really only returning as dead bodies."

"It's very moving because there are also quite a few people among those released who have German citizenship," he added.