As Israel braces for the emotional return of the final hostages from Gaza, Magen David Adom (MDA) — the country’s national emergency medical service — has gone on full alert, deploying paramedics, EMTs, and mobile intensive care units to assist the IDF and Ministry of Health in one of the most delicate operations in the nation’s history.

The move comes ahead of the launch of Operation “Returning Home,” the final stage of the hostage release and the symbolic end of the two-year war with Hamas.

“These are historic and emotional days,” said Eli Bin, MDA’s Director General. “The hostages we have longed to see return for the past two years are finally coming home. Magen David Adom has mobilized all its resources for this mission. Our teams are ready for any scenario and prepared to provide an immediate response if required.”

MDA confirmed that ambulances and mobile intensive care units have been stationed across southern and central Israel, particularly near airfields and hospitals designated to receive the freed hostages. Coordination centers in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Be’er Sheva are maintaining direct communication with IDF medical units and the Hostages Directorate to ensure rapid response capability.

According to MDA spokesperson Zaki Heller, emergency medical teams “have been briefed, are fully prepared, and are assisting wherever needed” — including at landing zones, hospitals, and key transfer points along the route from the Gaza border.

The operation will involve simultaneous medical coverage for multiple stages of the hostages’ return: triage and stabilization immediately after handover from the Red Cross, helicopter transfers to hospitals, and emergency standby during the emotional reunions with families.

The preparations underscore the sensitivity of the mission — and the magnitude of what it represents. For Israel, the hostages’ return marks the close of a national trauma that began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas murdered around 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 others during its cross-border assault and massacre.

The final 20 living captives are expected to be handed over to Israeli forces early Monday morning, accompanied by the remains of several who were killed in captivity.

The operation, officials say, is as much a humanitarian effort as a logistical one — and MDA’s role reflects the intersection of both.

MDA’s mobilization follows the IDF’s completion of its own preparations and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s televised address calling the moment “an evening of tears and joy.”

As Israel awaits the return of the final hostages, ambulances lined with MDA’s red Star of David insignia now stand ready across the country.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)