As Israel and Palestinian families waited for loved ones to be released, Trump met world leaders to continue ceasefire talks. Will Christou, Dan Boffey and Jason Burke report on an extraordinary day in the Middle East

It was a day of joy, sorrow and diplomatic drama in the Middle East. Chief reporter Dan Boffey was in “hostages square” in Tel Aviv as the final hostages who were kidnapped on 7 October were released. As news broke out that the first seven hostages were safe, cheers erupted throughout the crowd.

Boffey tells Lucy Hough about the final hostages and what their release means to people. One person in the square told him: “Israel is a place where Jews are meant to be safe, and if these people didn’t come home, then what is the point of Israel?”