LIVE: Body returned not a hostage; others confirmed as Eitan Levy, Tamir Nimrodi and Uriel Baruch
Israel cancels planned Gaza sanctions as Hamas hastens return of dead hostages
Pro-Palestinian organisations in Tunisia working to pass a law making any normalisation with Israel a criminal offence
Kann News Israel reports that they are attempting to gather one million signatures in support of the initiative. A similar move that reached the parliament in the country in 2023 did not succeed, likely due to pressure from Western countries.
Tamir Nimrodi will be buried on Thursday the military cemetery in Kfar Saba
In a statement today, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the hostage soldier whose body was returned yesterday from Gaza, was killed by IDF strikes.
“Tamir was kidnapped alive from his base and killed by IDF bombings in captivity,” the statement reads.
Earlier, his family said in a statement that he was “murdered” in Hamas captivity.
PICTURE: Guy Gilboa Dalal eats chocolate for first time in two years
‘They kidnapped you — they murdered you’: Hostage Guy Illouz buried in Ra’anana
Michel Illouz, the father of murdered hostage Guy Illouz, whose body was returned from Gaza earlier this week for burial this afternoon, said of his eldest child:
“They kidnapped you — they murdered you — they kidnapped me too, and my very identity; they murdered my soul and my heart. I’ve been hollow, full of holes, ever since that senseless shooting by those vile terrorists, when they caught you, told you to turn around — and then simply fired two unnecessary bullets into your back.”
Illouz describes driving to the Abu Kabir forensics institute on Wednesday morning to identify him and say goodbye.
“I touched you, tried to smell you, caressed every bone of yours, saw you, was alone with you — and yes, I felt with absolute certainty that it was you,” says Illouz. “Yes, I know, my Guychuk, that you’ve come back to us — back to your family’s embrace, to your friends, and to the millions of people whose hearts your story has touched.”
Illouz, 26, was wounded and kidnapped by Hamas terrorists while trying to flee the Nova music festival. He later succumbed to his wounds in a Gaza hospital, apparently due to lack of medical treatment.
“My Guychuk, I love you so, so much,” says Illouz. “I will miss you every second, every minute of my life. Rest now, my sweet boy, rest after two years of journeying through worlds unknown to us.”
Fourth body Hamas returned last night was dressed in IDF uniform, despite not being an Israeli hostage
“The fourth body that Hamas returned to Israel last night was dressed in IDF uniforms, despite not being an Israeli hostage.
“Hamas claimed it was a soldier, but Palestinians previously claimed it was a Palestinian collaborator from Jericho.
“In May, Hamas claimed it had killed an IDF soldier inside a tunnel in Jabalia during an encounter, and even released a video and photo from the incident. The IDF denied it was an Israeli soldier.
“Shortly afterwards, Arab media outlets claimed it was an Israeli collaborator, a Palestinian resident of Jericho, who was operating alongside Israeli security forces. A security source said that Hamas deliberately chose to return the Palestinian’s body to Israel as part of the deal to return the deceased hostages, with intentional manipulation.”
Source: Itay Blumenthal, Military Correspondent for Israel’s Channel 11
‘Rom was pressured to convert to Islam, was told Israel had been bombed’
Tami, mother of Rom Braslavski says her son was promised food by Hamas terrorists in exchange for renouncing Judaism. He refused. “The moment he came back, he put on tefillin.”
He was told Israel had been bombed and nearly destroyed by Iran.
Speaking to Ynet, Tami said Rom told her he had seen the bodies of other hostages before his release. “Hamas knows where they are. Bring them home, and then I can say I’m home,” he reportedly said.
Rom, 21, was kidnapped on October 7, 2023 from the Nova music festival, where he worked. He is from Jerusalem and has two brothers, Amit & Ziv. Witnesses reported he rescued two women and continued helping others despite being wounded in both hands.
In the early weeks of his captivity, Rom was held in a cramped one-metre-by-one-metre room, where he was shackled by all four limbs. His captors locked him in and left, giving him only half a piece of dry flatbread and a bit of rice each evening. He was often deprived of proper sanitation and had to relieve himself in a bottle that his captors collected once each night. He marked the days on the wall until he decided he had to take action to survive.
In one incident, during a period of extreme hunger, he managed to break free of his restraints and tried to cook pasta. When the gas stove didn’t work, he set fire to the clothes and a book belonging to one of the terrorists, using it to boil water in a pot. He made a fire inside a small bathroom in the apartment, but the plastic-covered windows trapped the smoke. Neighbors, fearing a fire, began banging on the windows and shouting.
Rom panicked. “He thought, ‘If they find me here, I’m dead,’” his mother recounted. Fearing a lynching, he hid under the bed and covered himself with a blanket as dozens of people stormed the room. “He felt them above the mattress,” she said. “They saw the shackles, realized a hostage was there, and began searching.” Rom said he prayed until his captor returned, and the crowd eventually left. His captor returned later but did not punish him, she said.
Click here for the full story.
YNet: Emily Damari was a Border Police fighter
For 471 days, Sergeant Emily Damari hid from her followers that she served as a Border Patrol soldier in the permanent unit. At the Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth state women’s conference in 2023, before 10/7, she spoke about her desire to serve in the unit, about combat service as a woman, and the inspiration from her older brother: “If I could, I would instruct female fighters, for a simple reason: they are here because they wanted to.”
Read the full story here.
Horrific new details emerge of Avinatan Or’s time in captivity
Speaking to Kan Reshet Bet radio on Wednesday morning, Avinatan’s father Yaron Or said his son was held in complete isolation, cut off from all other hostages.
He had no books or human contact for two years. At one point he was given a Rubix Cube.
Hamas captors told him girlfriend Noa Argamani had been released, even though at the time she was still in captivity.
He was kept in a tiny cage barely large enough to lie down.
At six foot five, he couldn’t stand.
He was chained inside this cage for more than a year of his captivity.
At one point, while being moved between tunnels, Avinatan saw a chance to escape, but his attempt failed. After that, his captors tightened his conditions and beat him.
His father said: “He knew there was a war, and he thought it should be ended even at the expense of the hostages. He told the prime minister that he thought he’d be held for years, until the war ended, and that this was what needed to happen. He’s a unique person.”
Lapid says Levin, other ministers ‘stirring divisions’ while hostages’ bodies still held in Gaza
Opposition leader Yair Lapid accuses Justice Minister Yariv Levin and other coalition members of sowing internal discord at a time when deceased hostages are still held by terror groups.
“While the international effort to locate the remaining deceased hostages continues, the justice minister and the rest of the coalition members are busy stirring divisions among us,” he says in a post on X.
Levin recently announced support for a controversial bill that would allow the defense minister to reduce or limit the number of hearings in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial, as the struggle continues to retrieve the bodies of 21 dead hostages held by Hamas. The terror group has returned just seven deceased hostages over the past two days under the US-brokered ceasefire.
“The coalition can’t go a single day without dragging us into internal conflict. The time has come for sane and responsible leadership,” says the Yesh Atid leader.
- From our partners at Times of Israel
Doctor calls Netanyahu ‘irresponsible’ for visiting returned hostages whilst sick for ‘propaganda’
Prof. Hagai Levin, the senior physician who serves as head of the health department at the headquarters for the families of the abductees, responded to Netanyahu’s request to shorten his testimony due to “bronchitis that refuses to subside.”
Netanyahu told the judges: “I really don’t feel well.”
Prof. Levin responded: “Why did he visit survivors of captivity with a weakened immune system yesterday and put them at risk?”
In a conversation with Ynet, he said: “It is irresponsible to endanger the health of the abductees for the purposes of political propaganda.”
Israeli Major General Dan Goldfus: ‘The sight of the returning hostages underscores the terrible day we failed’
The outgoing Northern Corps Commander, Major General Dan Goldfus, referring to the release of the hostages, said: “This is a complex moment for me, where shame rises and overwhelms, as the sight of the returning hostages underscores the terrible day we failed. That dreadful day when we did not fulfil our mission to protect the residents of the Gaza envelope, and since then, we have not succeeded in bringing them back.”
Source: Kann News
Aid trucks move into Rafah crossing carrying fuel and aid pallets, unclear if they will enter Gaza today
Reuters video shows a first group of trucks moving from the Egyptian side of the border into the Rafah crossing at dawn today, some tankers carrying fuel and others loaded with pallets of aid.
However, it was not clear if that convoy would complete its crossing into Gaza as part of the 600 trucks that were due to enter the enclave today — the full daily complement required under the ceasefire plan. Aid trucks entered Gaza through other crossings from Israel.
“Humanitarian aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom Crossing and other crossings after Israeli security inspection,” an Israeli security official says.
The Kan public broadcaster reported that today’s aid deliveries would include food, medical supplies, fuel, cooking gas, and equipment to repair vital infrastructure.
- From our partners at Times of Israel
Tamir Nimrodi brought home — after 739 days in Hamas captivity
Tamir was kidnapped alive from the Erez Crossing, where he served in COGAT’s Coordination and Liaison Administration to the Gaza Strip, helping facilitate humanitarian aid and movement across the border.
He was abducted by Hamas terrorists a month before his 19th birthday, along with his friends Ron Sherman and Nick Beiser, who were later returned for burial in Israel.
His family watched footage of his abduction, showing him being led away on foot into Gaza — in shorts and a t-shirt, without his glasses. Since that day, there had been no sign of life or information about Tamir’s condition.
Two years passed in silence — until now.
Tamir was known as a kind and sensitive young man, always eager to help others. He was a devoted son and the beloved older brother of two sisters. He is finally returning home for a proper burial.
Body of Uriel Baruch brought home — after 739 days in Hamas captivity
Uriel, 35, was abducted from the Supernova music festival on October 7, 2023, after fleeing the site with his close friend, Michel Yoav.
They were ambushed by Hamas terrorists at the Mefalsim Junction — Michel was murdered, and Uriel was taken into Gaza.
In March 2024, the IDF informed his family that Uriel had been killed on October 7 and his body held hostage.
For nearly two years, they waited for the chance to bring him home.
Uriel worked in construction, selling supplies to contractors. He loved techno music and festivals — and met his wife, Racheli, at one. The couple built their home in Giv’on HaHadasha, where they raised their two sons, Shalev (8) and Ofek (5).
He is finally returning home for a proper burial.
Body of murdered Eitan Levi brought home — after 739 days in Hamas captivity
Eitan, 53, was a taxi driver who was murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7, near the Gaza perimeter.
His body was taken into Gaza, where Palestinians were filmed beating and desecrating it.
On the morning of October 7, Eitan had driven a friend to her home in Kibbutz Be’eri. At 7:30 a.m., he called to report missile fire. Ten minutes later, during the call, he was heard saying “it landed on the roof (of my car)!” — followed by sounds of struggle and Arabic voices.
The connection was lost. Sixty-two days later, his family was notified of his murder.
Eitan was a devoted father to his only son, Shachar and adored his two German Shepherds, Casey and Bell, whom he trained himself.
He is finally returning home for a proper burial.
Source: Israel Foreign Ministry
Reports: Hamas murdered propagandist Salah Al-Jafari
Gazans are claiming that it was Hamas who killed Salah Al-Jafari, also known as Mr. FAFO, in order to seize the $10 million he had allegedly pocketed from an international fundraiser for a children’s hospital.
Al-Jafari dance and celebrated on 7 October 2023.
He pretended to be killed by Israel at least 30 times during the war.
Family of murdered hostage Bipin Joshi: ‘You are a hero! The grenade you deflected saved the lives of your friends’
Bipin Joshi, a 22-year old Nepalese student who was studying agriculture and farming at training programme at Kibbutz Alumim, arrived in Israel 25 days before the massacre.
He saved several of his classmates during the October 7th attack, by throwing a grenade out of a shelter, before he was kidnapped to Gaza. In the days that followed, footage released by the IDF shows him being dragged alive into Shifa Hospital.
Murdered by Hamas, his body was brought back to Israel yesterday – after 738 days in captivity.
His family have said: “You are a hero! The grenade you deflected before being brutally kidnapped saved the lives of your friends. We were so afraid that they would know you are a hero, that they wouldn’t harm you, that you would only manage to survive. Before you were kidnapped, you managed to write a message to your cousin. You asked him to be strong and always look to the future.”
Trump: Hamas will disarm or we will disarm them
Donald Trump has said Hamas has told his top aides that it will disarm, and that the terror group could be dealt with “violently” if it refuses to do so. He also pressed the Palestinian terror group to follow through with its release of all the dead hostages still being held in the Strip. “I spoke to Hamas, and I said, ‘You’re going to disarm, right?’ ‘Yes, sir. We’re going to disarm.’ — That’s what they told me. They will disarm or we will disarm them,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
PICTURE: Palestinians walk past destroyed buildings in Gaza Strip
Displaced residents return to their homes in the in al-Zahra area, north of the Nuseirat refugee camp.
- From our partners at Times of Israel
Ilan Gilboa Dalal: ‘Red Cross delivered a letter from Guy in captivity two months ago’
Ilan, the father of Guy Gilboa Dalal: “Now we can tell: two months ago, we received a letter from him in captivity, which was delivered to us through the Red Cross.” On Guy’s first day back home: “He experienced an emotional overload from the abundance. His sister brought him a chocolate ball from her, and his eyes widened; he hadn’t tasted chocolate in two years.”
Source: Kann News Israel
Senior Israeli official: ‘There is still a chance Hamas will return the bodies of deceased hostages today or tonight’
The senior Israeli official noted that Israel has made it clear to Hamas through mediators that it considers the return of the deceased as an essential and inseparable part of the agreement, and stressed that it demands maximum effort from Hamas to locate the bodies of the deceased.
According to him, Hamas thought that Israel’s demand for the return of the deceased was less rigid and serious, but discovered today that this is not the case.
He noted that Hamas also realised in recent hours that Israel knows more than it had assumed about the number of bodies it holds, and therefore will find it difficult to claim that it does not know where they are.
Source: @BarakRavid
Yasser Arafat’s nephew returns to West Bank after exile, aims to confront corruption in PA
A nephew of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has returned to the West Bank after four years of self-exile, outlining a roadmap to secure peace in Gaza with Hamas transforming into a political party and declaring his readiness to help govern.
Nasser al-Qudwa, a prominent critic of the current Palestinian Authority leadership, also urged “a serious confrontation of corruption in this country.” He says PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party needed deep reform and must do more to counter settler violence in the West Bank.
“The first duty … is to regain confidence of the street — something that we lost — and we have to be brave enough and say that we don’t have it anymore, and without it, frankly, it’s useless,” Qudwa tells Reuters in an interview.
Qudwa left the West Bank in 2021 after he was expelled from Fatah, the movement founded by his uncle, over his decision to field his own list in elections, defying Abbas, who canceled the vote.
Abbas, 89, readmitted Qudwa to Fatah last week, after offering an amnesty for expelled members.
- From our partners at Times of Israel
Noa Argamani: ‘We won our personal war and the war of the whole world that fought with us to reach this moment’
Posting on Instagram, Argamani wrote: “Two years. Two years have passed since the last moment I saw my beloved Avinatan. Two years have passed since the moment terrorists kidnapped us, put me on a motorcycle, and separated me from Avinatan in front of the whole world.”
“From that moment on, we began our separate journeys. I was held captive with children, women, and adults while Avinatan was alone the whole time. I was held inside houses most of the time while Avinatan was only in tunnels. Hamas released videos and life signs from me while there was no information at all about Avinatan. I was held captive by Hamas for 246 days while Avinatan was 738 days. I returned in a rescue and Avinatan returned in a deal. But both of us, against all odds, returned home and were reunited.
“I cannot explain in words the range of emotions I felt when I saw him for the first time after so long. Each of us has seen death before our eyes on so many occasions, and yet, after two years apart, we are finally taking our first step together in the State of Israel.
“Finally, we can both begin our rehabilitation together. The rehabilitation is still long. We haven’t really been able to digest what has happened here in the last two years, but we won. We won our personal war and the war of the whole world that fought with us to reach this moment, and now it’s time for us to begin our common journey together.”
“I want to say a huge thank you first and foremost to the soldiers and security forces, who have been fighting for so long and risking their lives for us every day.
“Thank you to family, friends, and everyone who made our voices heard when we couldn’t speak. To all the people of Israel and the entire world who embraced us, to all the wonderful people who supported us in the difficult times and never lost hope during this long period, to the American administration that opened the door for me and was always there to listen.
“Especially to President Trump, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner who stood by us to bring back Avinatan and all the kidnapped and helped us overcome the darkness.”
“We will not forget for a moment the fallen and the murdered, we will not stop fighting until all the dead return home for a proper burial in Israel. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This could never have happened without you. We are back.”
PICTURE: Alon Ohel: ‘Thank you to the people of Israel’
@NOFARMOS via Kann News Israel
“I want to say thank you to the people of Israel, to everyone who was there for me – that I return home alive”
Starmer: ‘I am proud of our contribution. Our decision to recognise state of Palestine’ helped peace process’
In his Middle East statement today, the UK Prime Minister said: “Let no one be in any doubt that none of this would have been possible without President Trump” adding that the UK “worked behind the scenes for months with the US, Arab and European nations to help deliver a ceasefire, get the hostages out, get aid in and secure a better future for Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. ”
He added that the UK is in a position to support the implementation of the ceasefire and proposed rebuild “precisely because of the approach this government takes. Mr. Speaker, that does include our decision to recognise the state of Palestine because this move, taken alongside out allies France, Canada and Australia and others, helped lead to the historic New York Declaration, where for the first time, the entire Arab League condemned the atrocities of October 7th.”
First group of Palestinian bodies released by Israel arrive in Gaza
A first batch of bodies of Palestinians killed during the Israel-Hamas war has arrived in the Gaza Strip after being released by Israel, local health authorities tell Reuters.
Israel still holds hundreds of bodies of Palestinians killed since October 7, 2023, including those of terror operatives who took part in the massacre that sparked the war, and the fighting afterwards.
- From our partners Times of Israel
Statement from Hostage and Missing Families Forum
“The families of the hostages and the returned embrace the families of Guy Illouz and Bipin Joshi, along with two additional families whose loved ones were recently returned for proper burial. Alongside the grief and the understanding that their hearts will never be whole, the return of Guy and Bipin, may their memories be a blessing, together with two additional deceased hostages, brings some measure of comfort to families who have lived with agonizing uncertainty and doubt for over two years. We will not rest until all 24 hostages are brought home.”
Brother of murdered hostage Itzik Elgart: ‘The government signed a surrender document to Hamas’
Danny Elgart, whose brother Itzik was murdered in captivity and returned for burial in Israel: “The government signed a surrender document to Hamas, a document of betrayal of the fallen. We saw yesterday the Speaker of the Knesset removing the hostages’ pin. Netanyahu pledged to bring everyone back, both the living and the fallen – and he is not doing it.”
Kibbutz Nir Oz resident Itzik Elgarat was abducted from his home on October 7 2023. His remains were returned to Israel after 509 days in captivity.
Source: Kann News Israel
Red Cross: Returning bodies of all dead hostages may take time and some may never be found
The International Committee of the Red Cross says that it will take time before the bodies of all the dead hostages are returned, calling it a “massive challenge” given the difficulties of finding remains amid Gaza’s rubble.
“That’s an even bigger challenge than having the people alive being released. That’s a massive challenge,” says the ICRC’s spokesperson Christian Cardon, adding it could take days or weeks, with a possibility some will never be found.
Hamas handed over the bodies of four dead hostages, with Israel and the families of the remaining 24 accusing the terror group of breaching its commitments under the ceasefire.
Yesterday, the remaining 20 living hostages taken on October 7, 2023, were released by Palestinian terror groups.
From our partners at Times of Israel
Trump on world leaders at Egypt summit: ‘I get along with the tough ones, I don’t get along with the weak ones’
US President added: “Yeah there were a couple in the room. You know who they are.”
Hostage testimony: Avinatan Or spent two years completely isolated in captivity, losing 30% to 40% of his weight
Elkana Bohbot spent his entire captivity underground in Hamas’ tunnels, chained to the floor.
Matan Angrest was given a medical procedure without anesthesia
Twins Gali and Ziv Berman were held separately and did not know they would be reunited for the release.
Omri Moran was moved through Gaza 23 times and had to cook for his captors.
Hamas terrorists lied to one of the hostages that his family had been killed on October 7th to torture him mentally.
Source: @HenMazzig
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun: ‘We must negotiate with Israel’
He adds: “Beirut cannot go against the current in which the Middle East is moving”. Source: Kann News Israel
Mamdani’s party denounces Gaza ceasefire
New York mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani calls recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas a “conditional truce” that fails to end “genocide and occupation.”
His party, The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), claimed on Monday that while “the Palestinian resistance has announced a ceasefire,” Israel continues “its assault against the Palestinian people.”
Source: Kann News Israel
CNN anchor Amanpour apologises for claiming Israeli hostages treated better than Gazans
Statement follows widespread outrage over her remarks on the day of the release of 20 living hostages after two years in captivity.
Five Palestinian killed after approaching ceasefire line
The IDF says the five Palestinian suspects who were killed after approaching forces in Gaza City’s eastern Shejaiya neighbourhood this morning had crossed the so-called Yellow Line, to which the military withdrew as part of the ceasefire.
Attempts were made to disperse the suspects, and after they refused to, the IDF says it carried out fire to “remove the threat.”
The army denies reports that the suspects or other gunmen had managed to breach an army encampment in the area. “The IDF calls on Gaza residents to follow its instructions and not to approach the troops deployed in the area,” the military added.
‘Good thing’ if Blair is involved in Gaza peace board
Ex-foreign secretary Lord Hague said it would be a “good thing” if former prime minister Sir Tony Blair was involved in the Gaza peace board which would be chaired by US President Donald Trump.
“I think it is to his credit actually, whatever one thinks about his role in Iraq, since he left office 18 years ago, he has remained utterly preoccupied with the Palestinian issue,” Lord Hague told the Cheltenham Literature Festival.
“He does bring a lot of knowledge and credibility to this and clearly has been part of formulating the Trump plan. I think that will be good if he is involved in that.
“You either have to have the hard power or have some very knowledgeable and persuasive people involved.
“He is one of them that this country has got, I think that would be a good thing.”
Starmer: ‘President Trump – this is your achievement’
Statement from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer: “President Trump, this is your achievement. I thank you for your tireless efforts to deliver this moment. The UK stands ready to support a full implementation of the peace plan.”
Bodies of four hostages Hamas returned to Israel have been identified
The bodies of the four hostages Hamas returned to Israel last night have been identified by forensic experts, and their families have been notified, the military says.
The IDF says its representatives notified the families of Guy Illouz, 26, Nepal national Bipin Joshi, 23, and two other hostages whose names will be published later, that their bodies were returned.
Hamas yesterday said it had also returned the bodies of Yossi Sharabi and IDF officer Cpt. Daniel Perez.
According to the military, citing intelligence information, Illouz was wounded and kidnapped alive by Hamas terrorists near the Tel Gama area on the Gaza border, after fleeing the Nova party near Re’im on the morning of October 7, 2023.
PICTURE: Reunion of best friends Eviatar David and Guy Gilboa Dalal
New York leaders hail hostage release; no comment from Mamdani
New York leaders hail the release of hostages from Gaza as the US wakes up to the news of the captives’ return to Israel.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams says: “Our hearts are filled with joy as an end to the war in Gaza appears to be on the horizon and families have finally been united.”
“We pray that this news will bring lasting peace, justice and prosperity to Israelis and Palestinians alike,” Adams says.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul says: “After two years of immense suffering and loss, the Israeli hostages have finally returned home. I join their families in celebrating this long-awaited homecoming and pray they find peace and comfort in the days ahead.”
“I’m grateful to the administration for its role in securing the hostages’ release. With their return and a permanent ceasefire, I’m hopeful that vital aid will soon reach families suffering in Gaza and that today marks the beginning of a new chapter of lasting peace and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” Hochul says.
Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running to become New York City’s next mayor, says: “For two long years, families have lived through unimaginable pain, sleepless nights, and endless heartache.”
“Today, their prayers have been answered, as the remaining hostages are finally home in the arms of their loved ones, where they belong,” Cuomo says. “We must never forget the terrorist act that brought us here, and we must stand together to say, with one voice: never forget and never again. Terrorism has no place in Gaza, in the Middle East, or anywhere in the world.”
There is no immediate comment from New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a harsh critic of Israel who is leading the race to become the city’s next mayor.
Yesterday, Mamdani said he ran a race for Gaza to raise money for UNRWA USA.
Last week, on the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Mamdani called the Hamas attack a “horrific war crime” and accused Israel of launching a “genocidal war” against the Palestinians.
- From our partners at Times of Israel
BREAKING: Hostages Forum calls for immediate suspension of agreement implementation until EVERY dead hostage returned
Full statement: “The Hostages Families Forum is calling for the immediate suspension of all agreement implementation until every deceased individual is returned.
“Hamas’s violation of the agreement must be met with a very serious response from the government and the mediators.
“An agreement must be honored by both sides. If Hamas does not fulfill their part, Israel should not fulfill its part either.
“We demand all 28 hostages back. We will not give up on anyone, until the last hostage is returned.”
PICTURE: Hostages airlifted to hospital for medical checks
Matan Tsengauker, Maxim Herkin, Segev Kalfon, Avinatan Or, Aviatar David, Eitan Horn, David Konio, Ariel Konio, Elkana Bohbot, and Rom Braslavsky were airlifted by Air Force helicopters to the hospital, accompanied by their family members.
154 Palestinian security prisoners freed and deported by Israel arrive in Egypt
An Egyptian official says 154 Palestinian security prisoners who were released and deported by Israel have arrived in Egypt at the Rafah crossing with Gaza.
The freed prisoners are to be sent to third countries as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, says the official, who has direct knowledge of the deal’s implementation. He speaks on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to brief the media.
The prisoners are among more than 1,900 Palestinians being freed by Israel in exchange for Hamas’s release of its remaining hostages.
- From our partners at Times of Israel
‘Hamas’s announcement about the expected return of 4 bodies today is a failure to meet commitments’
“The urgent task we are all committed to now is to ensure the return of all the abducted bodies home. Hamas’s announcement about the expected return of 4 bodies today is a failure to meet commitments. Any delay or deliberate avoidance will be considered a gross violation of the agreement and will be responded to accordingly.”
Israel Katz, Israel’s Defence Minister
‘He’s got some brass neck showing up trying to claim some credit’: Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp
MP comments on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s flying into to attend Middle East signing ceremony in Egypt.
Source: GB News
Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis: ‘For two years we have been crying. Today, we cry tears of joy’
He adds: “May all of the deceased hostages now also return home.”
Emily Damari: ‘To the women who wondered to themselves, who weren’t sure yes or no, Ziv Berman is single’
Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt: ‘Our hearts are filled with jubilation’
Statement from the President, Conference of European Rabbis, on the return of the hostages:
“Our hearts are filled with jubilation over the return of the hostages, our brothers and sisters, who have endured unspeakable torment in Gaza’s terror tunnels. As the Biblical Prophet envisioned: “And the ransomed return and come to Zion with song… sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah, 35:10).
“The past two years have shown us the horrific and murderous brutality of terror states intent on destroying the Jewish people, but also, in sharp contrast, the unity of our nation.
“IDF soldiers have entered hellish combat, risking and even sacrificing their lives to ensure the hostage’s return. From Austria to Australia, mothers and grandmothers lighting Shabbat candles each week have tearfully prayed for these hostages. Synagogues across Europe and beyond have echoed with chapters of Tehillim [Psalms]. Over these two years, Jewish people have shown that we are one family, bound in pain and in solidarity.
“The road to recovery is far from over. The future remains uncertain, and the path of our nation is strewn with pain and loss. Yet today, as we witness the return of our brothers and sisters from their horrific captivity, our sorrow is mingled with song, our tears with gratitude. We thank President Trump for his leadership in this exchange.
“May the Almighty gather home all who are still in darkness, heal the broken-hearted, and bless His people with peace.”
Trump to President Herzog: ‘Why not give Netanyahu a pardon?’
He added: “”Cigars and champagne, who the hell cares?!”
PICTURE: Evyatar David with his parents Avishai and Galia
PICTURE: ‘Thank you for everything, the people of Israel live!’
The message of Gali and Ziv Berman from an IDF helicopter
Police storm bus of released Gazan detainees due to ‘celebratory display’
Prison officials say guards stormed a bus full of former Gazan detainees who were released from prison and en route to the enclave after some of them pulled the vehicle’s window curtains aside in a “celebratory display.”
Members of the Israel Prison Service’s Masada unit “stormed the bus, employed measures against those disturbing the order and immediately restored prison governance” without causing injuries, the officials say.
The bus later continued on to Gaza.
Israel released a total of 1,968 security prisoners and Gazan detainees today, as part of a US-backed hostage-release and ceasefire deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza, IPS confirms.
Security forces in the West Bank and East Jerusalem have been keeping a close eye on freed security prisoners and their families to ensure their release is not celebrated publicly.
- From our partners at Times of Israel
Trump: We are going to have hope and harmony across the Middle East
“Peace through strength, that’s what it’s all about,” Trump says, repeating what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his address.
Trump says the US has the best weapons, and “we’ve given a lot of them to Israel, frankly.”
He says “Bibi would call me so many times – can you get me this weapon, that weapon, and some of them I’d never heard of.”
“But we’d get them here, wouldn’t we,” he says, adding this “Israel knew how to use them well.”
Simon Wiesenthal Center welcomes hostages home
“The Simon Wiesenthal Center expresses profound relief and gratitude that all 20 surviving hostages have been released and returned home to Israel. We await the return of the 28 slain hostages whose bodies still remain in Gaza.
“After more than two years of anguish, uncertainty, and prayer, the hostage families are finally reunited with their loved ones. Their courage, faith, and persistence have embodied the strength of the Israeli people and the human spirit itself. They refused to give up hope, even when much of the world looked away.
“We embrace our brothers and sisters on this long-awaited homecoming. We mourn those who did not return, victims of the deadliest assault on Jews since the Holocaust, and we commit to preserving their memory,” said Jim Berk, Simon Wiesenthal Center CEO. “Since October 7, 2023, more than 900 Israeli soldiers have also fallen in battle, expanding the heavy burden of bereavement for the Jewish state and world Jewry. These bereft families and loved ones, too, are in our hearts today.”
PICTURE: Released hostage Eitan Horn is home
Released hostage Eitan Horn after he was handed over to the IDF after over two years of captivity in the Gaza Strip, October 13, 2025 (Israel Defense Forces)
Starmer expresses ‘deep relief’ at release of remaining hostages
Sir Keir Starmer has said he shares the “deep feeling of relief” with the families of Israeli hostages released by Hamas.
Sir Keir also insisted it was now “crucial” to implement Donald Trump’s peace plan in the Middle East.
The Prime Minister is in Sharm El Sheikh to see the US president and fellow negotiators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey sign off the Gaza peace plan.
All 20 of the remaining live Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas throughout Monday morning, as part of the first phase of the peace deal.
In exchange, Israel has agreed to free Palestinian prisoners it has in captivity.
In a statement released after all hostages were freed, Sir Keir said: “I share the deep feeling of relief as Avinatan Or and other hostages are released today.
“But this is also a stark reminder of the treatment that he has been subject to at the hands of Hamas, and the atrocities that shook the world two years ago.
“Having met his family, I know that no one can truly understand the torture and agony they suffered for two drawn out years and my thoughts are with them. My thoughts are also with the family of Yossi Sharabi, who are still waiting for news.”
Starmer meets Abbas in Sharm El Sheikh
Sir Keir Starmer and Palestinian Authority President Mahmood Abbas have had a brief informal meeting – known as a brush-by in diplomatic circles.
It came straight after the Prime Minister’s meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
They are all in Sharm El Sheikh for a summit on the Gaza war led by US President Donald Trump and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Badenoch: Government “having to beg” for praise
A tweet sent by an American official praising UK involvement in the Middle East peace deal is “very sad” and showed the Government was “having to beg” for praise, Kemi Badenoch has said.
The Conservative leader had criticised national security adviser Jonathan Powell amid reports which suggested he was involved in the collapse of a major Chinese spying court case.
US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, meanwhile, praised Mr Powell for his part in the Middle East peace deal.
Asked about the US praise, Mrs Badenoch replied: “I was not born yesterday. I think it is actually very sad that the Government is having to beg people to send tweets to say something nice about Jonathan Powell.
“The American ambassador to Israel has actually criticised the Government, saying they are delusional for saying that they have anything to do with this peace deal.
“I think that that is quite tragic, the way that the UK’s reputation is falling under this Labour Government.”
Starmer praises emir of Qatar for “inspiring role”
Sir Keir Starmer praised the emir of Qatar for his “inspiring role” in negotiations over Gaza, especially the way he “stepped up” after Israel’s strike on Doha.
Calling the summit in Sharm El Sheikh a “truly historic day”, the Prime Minister congratulated Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani as they met on the sidelines.
He said Qatar played the negotiation role “in really difficult circumstances, particularly after the attack in Doha” and said it was “inspiring” the way the emir personally “stepped up” and said he would “not let go of diplomacy”.
He said the UK stands ready to “play our full part” particularly in monitoring a ceasefire and decommissioning Hamas’s capability and weaponry.
He said the UK would draw on its experience of decommissioning the IRA in Northern Ireland.
PICTURE: Tal Kupershtein keeps promise to greet his son Bar standing up
Reports: Only four of 28 bodies of dead hostages to be returned today
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum says only four of the 28 bodies of dead hostages will be returned to Israel today, calling it a “blatant breach” of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
There has not been an announcement on the identities of the four, and there has been no confirmation from Israeli authorities on the number of bodies expected today.
Several families of dead hostages were told by Israeli authorities yesterday that their loved ones’ bodies would not be returned today or tomorrow, and that Israel would spare no effort to locate and return them. However, numerous sources had indicated that the majority of the dead hostages would be returned today or soon afterward.
Hamas had warned that it would have difficulties locating some of the bodies.
“This represents a blatant breach of the agreement by Hamas. We expect Israel’s government and the mediators to take immediate action to rectify this grave injustice,” the forum says, noting it is “shocked and dismayed.”
“The families of the deceased hostages are enduring especially difficult days filled with deep sorrow,” says the group. “We will not abandon any hostage. The mediators must enforce the agreement’s terms and ensure Hamas pays a price for this violation.”
Two Knesset members ejected for holding up signs during Trump’s speech
Hadash-Ta’al chairman Ayman Odeh is removed from the Knesset plenum after holding up a sign calling on US President Donald Trump to “recognise Palestine” during a speech by the American leader. The Arab-Israeli MK is a vocal proponent of Palestinian statehood, which Israel’s government rejects.
Party MK Ofer Cassif also attempts to hold up a sign and is forcibly removed as well.
After they are removed, Trump declares, “That was very efficient,” and continues his speech.
- Source: Times of Israel
PICTURE: Trump and Netanyahu at Knesset
Leaders met with families of fallen hostages, returning hostages, injured IDF soldiers, victims of terror attacks from 7 October, and bereaved families.
PICTURE: Former hostage Bar Kupershtein with his mother at the Re’im camp
Bar, 23, from Holon, was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023 while working at the Nova music festival. He was a primary breadwinner for his family, supporting his disabled father, mother, and 4 younger siblings.
During the attack, Bar stayed to help the wounded until he was captured and kidnapped. In a video released by Hamas he was shown bound, underground.
He is described by family as resourceful & caring, having helped with basic infrastructure like electricity and plumbing in the tunnels to support fellow hostages.
Hamas orchestrated video calls between some of the living hostages and their families
Shortly before releasing them, the Hamas terror group on Monday morning orchestrated video calls between some of the living hostages and their families, who were anxiously awaiting their return.
Footage of the calls, in which masked terrorists could be seen alongside the hostages, came after the terror group agreed not to reprise the propaganda ceremonies it held when it released hostages under previous agreements.
The hostages released on Monday appeared to be wearing the same fake military uniforms that Hamas had made the previously released captives wear at the ceremonies.
The calls were placed to family members who were already at the Re’im military base preparing to be reunited with their loved ones.
At least one family refused to accept a call from Hamas, Channel 12 news reported.
- From our partners at Times of Israel
Palestinian sources: ‘Hamas kill 32 members of Gaza ‘gang’ following start of ceasefire’
Hamas forces have killed 32 members of “a gang” in Gaza City in a campaign launched after a ceasefire came into effect on Friday, while six of their personnel were also killed in the violence, a Palestinian source says.
The official says the operation in Gaza City had targeted members of a “dangerous gang affiliated with a family in Gaza City.” The operation had led to the arrest of 24 people and 30 others being wounded, the official says.
Since the ceasefire began late last week in the terror group’s two-year-long war with Israel, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza has deployed forces in what it has described as an effort to prevent a security vacuum that would be filled by lawlessness and looting.
While US President Donald Trump has demanded Hamas disarm under a plan to end the Gaza war, he indicated that it had a green light for internal security operations, saying they wanted “to stop the problems” and “we gave them approval for a period of time.”
Hamas released 20 living Israeli hostages today as part of the ceasefire.
The Palestinian official did not identify the “gang” involved, although there are several clans in Gaza that have long been seen as rivals to Hamas but who only emerged in more open opposition as the war ground on. There have been several clashes.
However, the official said the “gang” was not part of a group led by the most prominent anti-Hamas rebel, Yasser Abu Shabab, who is based in Rafah in southern Gaza, an area controlled by Israel.
Hamas has accused Abu Shabab and his supporters of being collaborators with Israel. He denies receiving Israeli support or having contacts with the Israeli army.
The Hamas official said a senior aide to Abu Shabab “has been liquidated” since the terror group’s campaign started with the ceasefire, and said the hunt for Abu Shabab was underway.
“The security campaign is continuing and escalating until this issue is completely over, and no party will be allowed to violate the law,” he added.
- From our partners at Times of Israel
Netanyahu to Trump: ‘You will be etched in our history, we remember your important role in the return of the hostages’
Comments made as part of Israeli PM’s speech in Knesset
Netanyahu feared a political crisis with the ultra-Orthodox and decided to cancel the trip to Sharm
Source: Senior official in Netanyahu’s office via @kann_news
Netanyahu to Trump: ‘No American president has ever done more for Israel’
Jewish Leadership Council statement on the return of the hostages
Israeli professor amongst 2025 Nobel Prize winners in economics
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced that the prize was awarded to Israeli-Americans Joel Mukir, Philip Agion and Peter Hewitt, for “their groundbreaking work in explaining how innovation drives long-term economic growth.”
Source: Ynet
Hostage Forum UK posts ‘Welcome home’ stickers
Hamas forces deployed at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis
Moves in preparation to receive the released Palestinian security prisoners later today.
PICTURE: Guy Gilboa Dalal: ‘Thank you to the IDF, to all the people of Israel, I’m back’
‘Am Y’Israel Chai’.
REPORTS: Netanyahu will attend the peace summit in Sharm El Sheikh later today
Source: Israel’s Kan News
PICTURE: Guy Gilboa Dalal re-united with family after 738 days in captivity
CST: ‘We are so grateful that the living hostages are finally home’
Statement from CST:
PICTURE: Reunited: Omri Miran with his wife Lishai Lavi Miran and father Danny Miran
Omri, 48, from Kibbutz Nahal Oz, was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023 from his home in front of his family. He is married to Lishay. They have 2 young daughters. Videos released by Hamas show him in dire conditions, pleading to return home. He is known as a family man who fought to stay alive for his daughters.
PICTURE: Alon Ohel reunited with his family after two years
Alon, 24, was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023 from a bomb shelter at the Nova music festival. He suffered serious injuries, including the loss of vision in one eye. His second eye is also at risk. Released hostages confirmed Alon was held under brutal conditions, chained in tunnels and deprived of decent medical treatment. Alon is a gifted pianist who planned to study jazz in Tel Aviv before his abduction.
Board of Deputies Phil Rosenberg: ‘Immense relief and profound joy’ at release of hostages
BOD President Phil Rosenberg has released the following statement following today’s news of the release of all remaining living hostages.
“We welcome with immense relief the release of hostages from Gaza and share in the profound joy felt by their families, friends, and all who have worked for their safe return.
“We also grieve with those who are due to receive the bodies of their loved ones for burial. May their memories be a blessing.
“We extend our heartfelt thanks to all international and regional leaders whose efforts helped bring about this agreement, particularly US President Donald Trump.
“We thank, too, the many in our community who have given countless hours to the support the hostages, including organising and attending vigils, adopting hostages, undertaking legal representation for the families, or simply displaying the yellow ribbon. These efforts reflect our eternal bond with Israel and its people.
“We also welcome the surge of aid into Gaza and support all efforts that enable Palestinians to rebuild, whilst ensuring Hamas cannot re-establish its terror state or play any role in the future governance of Gaza.
“In our political engagements we will continue to convey the overwhelming desire of the British Jewish community for a lasting peace.
“In the UK, this moment must also prompt reflection. The profound damage to community cohesion and the massive increase in antisemitism since 7 October 2023, culminating in the deadly terrorist attack in Manchester on Yom Kippur, require a concerted response.
“We will continue our efforts to ensure action against anyone who incites violence and hatred. We also need to see a renewed focus on building community cohesion and mutual respect.
“We have all had enough of war. Now is the time for peace.”
PICTURE: Eitan Mor is reunited with his family after two years
PICTURE: Ziv and Gali Berman wearing the yellow of Maccabi Tel Aviv
The helicopter transporting released hostages Gali and Ziv Berman from Reim facility to the hospital will fly over Bloomfield Stadium in Jaffa. The two are Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, and signs have been prepared for them and for Omri Miran on the stadium’s field that will be visible from the air.
Trump signs Knesset guest book: ‘A great and beautiful day, a new beginning’
STARMER: ‘Today is the first, crucial phase in ending the war in the Middle East’
UK Prime Minster posts on Twitter/X: “Now we must deliver lasting peace and a secure future for the whole region.”
Final 13 living hostages reportedly in Red Cross hands; no more living hostages now in Hamas captivity
Steve Witkoff smooths diplomatic feathers with acknowledgement of UK’s role in Gaza peace talks
Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy took to Twitter/X on Monday to defend the Keir Starmer’s National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell.
The diplomatic gesture comes after US Ambassador to Israel Mick Huckabee ridiculed claims by UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson that the country’s behind-the-scenes efforts played a major part in shaping the agreement.
Responding to Phillipson’s claim that “These are complex matters of diplomacy that we are involved in. We do welcome and recognize the critical role that the American government played in getting us to this point”, Huckabee responded on Sunday: “I assure you she’s delusional. She can thank President Donald Trump anytime just to set the record straight.”
PICTURE: Netanyahu welcomes Trump to Israel
PICTURE: GALI AND ZIV BERMAN
Freed twins Ziv (L) and Gali Berman embrace in the Gaza Strip after they were freed from Hamas captivity on October 13, 2025. The pair were apparently separated while held in the Strip
Ziv, 28, was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023 from Kibbutz Kfar Aza as was his twin brother, Gali. He and Gali worked together as light and sound technicians, often collaborating on music and event projects.
Ziv and Gali also work on Israel’s iconic annual “Festigal”.
Friends and family describe Ziv as reserved, someone who enjoys life: he loves shopping, collecting perfume and balancing work with play.
Gali, 28, is described by friends as warm-hearted and outgoing, someone whose greeting “Shalom” would echo throughout the office and a friend who would always help others.
Their family includes 2 older brothers, Liran and Idan and their parents.
PICTURE: Released hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal
Released hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal is seen meeting with an IDF officer in the Gaza Strip shortly after being freed from Hamas captivity on October 13, 2025 (Pic: Courtesy)
Guy, 24, was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023 from the Nova music festival, where he and his lifelong friend Evyatar David were kidnapped together.
His brother Gal escaped that morning and became one of his fiercest advocates. Before his kidnapping, Guy was passionate about Japanese culture – he learnt Japanese and was planning a trip to Japan – and was an anime fan.
According to reports, in captivity he was subjected to severe conditions: extreme dehydration left him temporarily unable to speak. He lost hearing in one ear. His family fought relentlessly for his safe return to Israel. Source: Israel Foreign Ministry
PICTURES: Eitan Mor reunited with his parents
The 25-year old was kidnapped by Hamas on October7, from the Nova music festival where he worked as a security guard.
Born and lives in Jerusalem, he is the eldest of Efrat & Tzvika Mor’s 8 children. He is a barista in Jerusalem and has a deep connection to his dog. Before being kidnapped, he reportedly saved others during the attack, helping evacuate people under dangerous conditions. His family fought for his release.
Steve Witkofff speaks of UK’s ‘vital role’ in assisting deal efforts
The White House’s special envoy on Twitter: “I would like to acknowledge the vital role of the United Kingdom in assisting and coordinating efforts that have led us to this historic day in Israel. In particular, I want to recognise the incredible input and tireless efforts of National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell.”
In comes after the US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned as “delusional” the UK Education Secretary for claiming the UK played an important role in bringing about the hostage deal.
Starmer urges momentum be seized for second phase of peace amid Gaza summit
Sir Keir Starmer will call for the momentum of the ceasefire agreement brokered by Donald Trump to be seized to secure lasting peace in Gaza as he attends a summit today.
The US president and fellow negotiators, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, will sign off the peace plan in Sharm El Sheikh, joined by leaders from more than 20 countries.
The summit, co-hosted by the US leader and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, comes as part of efforts to secure the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that has been holding since Friday.
Mr Trump, who will first travel to Israel to meet with hostage families and address parliament there, said he was “very excited about this moment in time” before Air Force One took off.
Mother of hostage Eitan Mor: ‘He looks thin and pale, but he is smiling’
Efrat Mor, mother of hostage Eitan Mor, says that she has seen her son’s face on screen. “He looks thin and pale, but he is smiling,” she says.
“It’s difficult to describe it, to see him standing, speaking, smiling,” Mor says, according to Channel 12. “It’s simply a miracle. He looks great. He’s thin and pale, but besides that, a ten. This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, like a second birthday.”
Mor has been released to Israel along with six other living hostages. Thirteen more living hostages are due to be released shortly.
Qatar, Egypt, Turkey put pressure on Hamas to disarm
Germany’s foreign minister says Qatar, Egypt, Turkey and other Arab states are exerting pressure on Hamas in Gaza to disarm to support further peace negotiations with Israel.
“All these states don’t want Hamas to continue to be active. They want disarmament and in this respect we have a good pressure scenario, because it won’t work without pressure,” Minister Johann Wadephul tells Deutschlandfunk radio.
Video shows freed hostages on way to Re’im
A live video broadcast by the Israel Police shows a convoy of vehicles carrying the freed hostages as they make their way to a southern Israel base to be reunited with their families.
PICTURE: Sheikh Radwan, Northern Gaza City
.
First images coming in after the withdrawal of IDF forces from the area.
PICTURE: Netanyahu tours Sheba Medical Center
Israeli Prime Minister reviews preparations for receiving released hostages on Monday.
Preparations for hostages’ families’ Shabbat meal in Tel Aviv’s ‘hostage square’
PICTURE: ‘We did it, Matan is coming home!’
Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, waits for Matan’s girlfriend, Ilana Gritzewsky, as she arrives back in Israel with a delegation from Washington.
PICTURE: Witkoff and Kushner pray at Western Wall
Ahead of the expected release of the hostages, US President Trump’s Special Envoys pray at the Kotel.
LBC’s Nick Ferrari dismisses ‘appalling appeasement’ of the UK, France and Canada in Gaza peace process
Presenter says: ‘Don’t delude yourself – this is down to Donald Trump.’
Hamas will ‘restore order following IDF withdrawal:
Hamas’s Interior Ministry has announced that its security forces are redeploying in the areas Israel vacated in Gaza — claiming they will “restore order” and “address the chaos” left behind.
Gazan officials thank Trump for securing ceasefire, invite him to visit the Strip
A group of local officials in Gaza, including Yahya al-Sarraj, the mayor of Gaza City; Iyad Abu Ramadan, head of the Gaza Chamber of Commerce; economist Soufian Odeh; and other business and academic figures, sent a letter today to US President Trump thanking him for bringing about the end of the war in Gaza.
The letter, which was obtained by The Times of Israel, states: “We wish to express our sincere gratitude for your leadership and unwavering commitment to ending the war in Gaza… Your efforts have restored to us the most vital thing — hope.”
From our partners at Times of Israel
PICTURE: IDF leaving Gaza
IDF prepares for hostage return
“This is an emotional moment for the people of Israel and for the troops of the IDF who fought and acted, over the past two years with courage, bravery, and dedication”. —IDF Spox. BG Effie Defrin
Netanyahu: Trump deserved to win peace prize
Taking to his Twitter/X account, Israel’s Prime Minister wrote: “The Nobel Committee talks about peace. President @realDonaldTrump makes it happen. The facts speak for themselves. President #Trump deserves it.”
Chief Rabbi: ‘We are holding our breath, united in hope and prayer for the safe return of the hostages’
Ahead of Shabbat, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said: “We are holding our breath, united in hope and prayer for the safe return of the hostages, for a dignified burial for the fallen, for comfort for those who have paid the heaviest price of this conflict, for the healing of the injured, and for a true and lasting peace.
“Let us pause and commit to memory this precious sense of unity, common fate and shared destiny. This is the true power of our people, and this is what we must hold onto in the days after this horrific war and long into the future.
“We might be one of the smallest nations on earth, but we are the largest family.”
Danny Danon: ‘This year, President Trump did not win the Nobel Peace Prize, but his actions have already changed history’
Comments from Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations
Pro-Israel counter-protestors set to take to the streets of London tomorrow
Three Jewish pro-Israel organisations have encouraged people to attend a counter-protest in central London tomorrow, in opposition to another round of planned anti-Israel protests to take place in the capital despite the ceasefire deal.
“Peace in the Middle East – so what the hell are you marching for?” reads the sign advertising the event.
“It was never about Palestine. It was always about hate.”
Red Cross and Israeli representatives meet to discuss hostage handover
The Israeli Prime Minister’s office has confirmed that “in recent hours, intensive discussions have been taking place between Israeli security officials and representatives of the Red Cross as part of the preparations for the reception of the hostages and the release of the prisoners.”
The ICRC has received vocal criticism for its part in hostage handovers in January, when Hamas conducted ceremonies which involved Red Cross employees signing for the release of the hostages, while the hostages were made to parade with certificates. Some described the ICRC, which has not visited any Israeli hostages held captive during the two years since 7 October 2023, as effectively acting as a “glorified taxi service” to transport the hostages back to Israel.
Brother of IDF reservist murdered in Ramallah: ‘The deal is not a release, but the next murder of thousands’
Michael Norzitz, brother of Vadim Norzhic, murdered in the October 2000 lynching in Ramallah, has criticised the ceasefire deal. “The release of the terrorists in the Shalit deal brought this disaster upon us. Even now, some of the hostages’ families have caused the greatest damage”
Reservist soldiers Yosef Avrahami and Vadim Norzhic were brutally murdered after they took a wrong turn and ended up in the Palestinian Authority-controlled city of Ramallah in the West Bank.
They were seized by PA police and taken to a police station, but that station was then overrun by a mob angry over the recent deaths of Palestinians in violent clashes with the army.
Israel publishes list of 250 Palestinian prisoners it will release; Islamic Jihad commander behind 3 suicide bombings to go free
Israel has published the full list of 250 Palestinian security prisoners serving life sentences slated for release as part of the hostage-ceasefire agreement.
The list, published by the Justice Ministry, comes the morning after the cabinet approved the US-backed deal, aimed at returning the remaining hostages and permanently ending the Gaza war.
Of the 250 prisoners, 15 will be freed to East Jerusalem, 100 to the West Bank and 135 are slated for deportation.
Some last-minute changes to the list were approved this morning, after negotiators agreed to swap 11 Fatah-affiliated prisoners with Hamas-affiliated ones.
Although Hamas demanded the release of the prominent Fatah figure Marwan Barghouti, in jail for planning deadly terror attacks during the Second Intifada, he is not included on the published list.
Popular Front leader Ahmad Sa’adat, as well as senior Hamas figures Ibrahim Hamed and Hassan Salameh, are also not slated for release, despite reported pressure from Hamas negotiators.
In addition to the security prisoners, another 1,700 Gazan detainees arrested after, but not involved in the Hamas-led October 7, attack, will be freed back to the Strip or exiled abroad.
The prisoners are only expected to go free after a 72-hour period in which all hostages, living and dead, are to be released.
Among those whose names appear on the list for release is Iyad Abu al-Rub, commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Jenin area of the West Bank. He is responsible for orchestrating and overseeing a number of terror attacks, including a suicide bombing in Shadmot Mechola in June 2003, a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv in February 2004 and a suicide bombing in Hadera in 2005. In total, 13 people were killed across the three attacks.
Also due to be released are Muhammad Zakarneh, a Fatah operative who planned the 2009 attack in which taxi driver Grigory Raginovich was murdered, and Muhammad Abu al-Rub, who in 2017 carried out a stabbing attack that killed Reuven Shmerling.
In addition, Mahmoud Qawasmeh, a senior Hamas member who was released in the Shalit deal, deported to Gaza, and later re-arrested during the war in Gaza in 2024, will also be released.
- From our partners at Times of Israel
Father of hostage Bar Kupershtein promises to stand tall when his son returns
Bar Kupershtein, 27, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre and is believed to be among the living hostages expected to be released within days under the new ceasefire agreement./
Despite his own disabilities, his father, Tal Kupershtein, has spent every day fighting with every ounce of strength to bring his son home. Tal has re-learned to speak, and in a touching viral video, he promises that he will greet Bar standing tall when he returns — and will never let go.
Widow of Rabbi murdered in 2018 terror attack on his killer’s release: ‘If he’s the price for the hostages, then so be it, with love’
Ahmad Jamal Ahmad Qanba, who murdered Rabbi Raziel Shevach in a 2018 terror attack near Havat Gilad, is set to be released from prison as part of the deal with Hamas.
In a statement, his widow said: “A few months ago, a prison service officer who occasionally meets this terrorist told me that he is in such a disturbed mental state that it’s better for us if he becomes someone else’s burden rather than ours.
“Mentally disturbed to the point of basic dysfunction. So, a. it’s heartening to hear that’s his condition, b. it’s likely he’ll die there faster than here.
“And if he’s the price for the hostages, then so be it, with love.
“Another important point… The reason Hamas includes terrorists like him in their lists isn’t about how important he is or whether he’ll return to activity, but rather the knowledge of how much the name of Raziel (or Dafna Meir, or the Elad attack, or any other name on the list) shakes and rekindles the pain in us, the people of Israel, and they use it as psychological terrorism.
“I know it’s hard, it’s personally very hard for me. But we can absolutely try not to give in to this terrorism and look at this list with our heads held high, making them on the other side understand that they won’t bring us down, not like this.
The people of Israel live and laugh in your face.”
Source: @yaelshevach
PICTURE: Israeli soldiers walk near the Israel-Gaza border
As seen from southern Israel, October 10, 2025. (AP/Emilio Morenatti)
The ceasefire agreement has come into effect
Since 12:00, IDF troops began positioning themselves along the updated deployment lines in preparation for the ceasefire agreement and the return of hostages. IDF troops in the Southern Command are deployed in the area and will continue to remove any immediate threat.
Source: IDF
Hostage Forum Israel on Nobel Peace Prize announcement
“Despite the Nobel Prize Committee choosing a different winner this year, the truth remains clear and indisputable – no leader or organisation has done more for world peace than the President of the United States, Donald Trump. President Trump works tirelessly, even at this very moment, to ensure the return of all 48 of our loved ones – the living and the fallen.
“The living must return home to begin their rehabilitation and recovery. The fallen deserve a dignified burial, a closure that has been denied to their families for far too long.
“President Trump’s unprecedented achievements in advancing peace policy over the past year speak for themselves. No prize, or lack thereof, can diminish the profound impact he has had on our families and on global peace. His commitment to bringing home the last hostage and ending the war does not depend on awards or accolades.
“We will continue to stand by President Trump in his fight to complete this mission, and history will remember his achievements as the most significant contribution to global peace in our generation.”
PICTURES: Tens of thousands pray at the Kotel on Thursday
Observers heard the traditional priestly blessing, attended by former hostages and the families of some of those to be released in the coming days.
Israel approves last-minute swap of the identities of prisoners expected to be released
Among the newly released: terrorists freed in the Shalit deal and deported to Gaza, re-arrested due to involvement in terrorism.
Source: @Kann_News
IDF has finished dismantling outposts and defences in Gaza Strip
The forces will be stationed in new defences and Brigade 188 has told its soldiers: “Time to hold your head proudly.”
- Read the full report on YNet
Khan Younis residents begin returning to their homes following start of IDF withdrawal
Media outlets in Gaza report that residents have started to return to their homes in areas from which the IDF has withdrawn.
For now, this does not include residents who wish to leave southern Gaza and return to the north — where Israeli forces are still present and preventing movement — but rather residents who had been displaced east of Khan Younis and have begun returning to the city in recent hours.
From our partners at Times of Israel
Redeployment of IDF forces from Gaza Strip expected to be completed by noon (Israel time)
Exit will launch 72 hour countdown to hostage release.
Trump expected to arrive in Israel on Monday morning
Preparations have begun in the Knesset for the possibility of a speech.
Source: i24News Israel
IDF troops streaming out of Gaza Strip as ceasefire takes effect
Chikli: ‘Released murderers will not turn to macramé workshops but dedicate their lives to the next murders and kidnappings’
Israel Minister of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism, Amichai Chikli says:
“We are obliged to face squarely the heavy and immediate price we are likely to pay alongside the release of our people. Two hundred and fifty murderers and arch-murderers, deserving of death, will be set free. Their release is a terrible moral injustice to the victims of terror and their families, as well as to the nameless and faceless future victims.
“The released murderers will not turn to birdwatching or macramé workshops but will dedicate their lives to the next murders and kidnappings, with their new base in Turkey, and we will encounter them again in the next round.
“In this regard, we should not tell ourselves fairy tales, and we should honestly acknowledge that, for better or worse, we are acting in complete contradiction to the accepted norms in the world on this matter and in complete contradiction to the recommendations of the Winograd Committee.
“We must not become accustomed to paying such prices, and I respect the members of the government who voted against the deal for this reason. It should be noted that the deep Turkish and Qatari involvement in the agreement, two countries clearly identified with the Muslim Brotherhood ideology, is very troubling. Likewise, I am highly sceptical about the ability of a foreign international force to carry out the task of deradicalisation and de-Hamasisation of the Strip.”
Read the full statement here.
PM Netanyahu thanks Trump envoys Kushner and Witkoff
Taking to Twitter/X, the Israeli Prime Minister posted: “We are in the midst of a critical development. Over the past two years, we have fought to achieve our war objectives, and one of the central goals is the return of the hostages—all of them, the living and the dead.
“And we are about to accomplish this. We could not have reached this point without the extraordinary assistance of President Trump and his team—Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
“They have worked tirelessly alongside Ron and his team, our team. These efforts, combined with the courage of our soldiers who entered Gaza, have created a combined military and diplomatic pressure that has isolated Hamas. I believe these have brought us to this point.”
Senior Shin Bet official: ‘We fully understand the cost, but this deal is the right thing to do at this time’
Speaking at last night’s cabinet discussion to approve the ceasefire and hostage deal, ‘M” said: “I haven’t always been part of the negotiation team. You don’t need to explain to me who these terrorists are and how dangerous they are. We fully understand the cost, but this deal is the right thing to do at this time.”
Despite signing a deal, Hamas attempted to kidnap an Israeli soldier yesterday
Hamas takes responsibility for a failed attack on an IDF post on the southern outskirts of Gaza City on Thursday, while claiming it attempted to kidnap a soldier, says the Times of Israel.
Borehamwood Hostage Vigil: ‘We will believe it when we see them home’
Full statement to Jewish News:
“For two long years, the Borehamwood hostage vigil has stood strong, every week, through rain and shine as a beacon of hope, resilience and solidarity with Israel as we continue to call for the release of the hostages.
“As news of this agreement, aimed at bringing all 48 hostages home reaches us, we feel a mix of cautious optimism and deep emotion. We await the imminent return of those held in captivity, the living, to be reunited and begin healing with their families and the deceased to finally receive a dignified burial.
“This agreement marks the potential for meaningful progress, yet our vigil and our mission will continue until every last hostage is brought home. We will believe it when we see them home.”
The Borehamwood Hostage Vigil Team: Eddie Hammerman, Josh Moont, Lara Lipsey, Gidi Matlin, Lisa Shaffer & Ronit Tam-Hammerman
Hostage Forum Israel: ‘The success of the agreement measured solely by the return of the last hostage, whether alive or deceased’
Full statement on Twitter/X:
“The agreement does not provide the certainty required to ensure the return of all the deceased. The struggle is not over. The return of the last hostage must be enshrined in the agreement, while creating significantly stronger pressure mechanisms on Hamas.
The success of the agreement will be measured solely by the return of the last hostage, whether alive or deceased. The Families’ Forum for the Return of the Hostages emphasises that the people of Israel will not accept a reality in which deceased hostages remain in the hands of the enemy.
The Forum calls on all parties involved in the agreement to ensure that the return of all deceased hostages for a proper burial in Israel is at the forefront of the negotiations and constitutes a prerequisite for the agreement’s full implementation by all parties. The current agreement does not establish binding timelines, nor does it include the necessary pressure and punitive mechanisms to guarantee the return of all the deceased for a proper burial in Israel.
Israel must not accept or normalise any possibility of abandoning its deceased. The people of Israel will neither rest nor give up on any man or woman.
Our national, moral, and ethical duty is to ensure the return of the last hostage – the emerging agreement must reflect this and make any progress conditional upon it.
The Israeli government and the mediating countries must ensure that Hamas adheres to its commitments and returns all 48 hostages, both the living for rehabilitation and the deceased for a proper burial in their homeland. This is one obligation, in one comprehensive and complete deal.”
Authorities to begin informing families of terror victims if the attacker is to be released under Gaza deal
Starting this morning, Israeli authorities say they will be notifying the families of terror victims that their loved ones’ killers are expected to be released as part of a hostage deal with Hamas.
In exchange for the 48 hostages, Israel will release 250 Palestinian security prisoners who are currently serving life sentences. It will also release some 1,700 Palestinians who have been detained by the military amid operations in Gaza over the course of the war, along with 360 bodies of terrorists.
Still, Israel has not yet published a full list of those set to be released in the deal.
The families of terror victims will be notified by the National Insurance Institute, while the families of fallen soldiers, police officers, and members of other security bodies will be notified by the IDF, Israel Police, or other respective security agencies.
The Defense Ministry says it is “coordinating and overseeing the activity between the various bodies.”
- From our partners at Times of Israel
Chief of Staff in Gaza Strip: You, the fighters, have created the conditions for the return of the hostages home’
IDF Chief of Staff: “Thanks to significant military pressure and powerful, high-quality ground operations, you, the fighters, have created the conditions for the return of the hostages home – the military action led to the political achievement; this achievement is first and foremost yours. On this day, I see before my eyes our fallen and those wounded in body and soul – this would not have happened without them.”
Israel’s Defence Minister: IDF will respond with great force to any threat by Hamas during the interim phase
Israel Katz posts on Twitter/X:
“I have instructed the IDF to respond with great force to any threat and to any attack by the Hamas terror organisation in Gaza against our forces during the interim phase before the government’s decision and until the implementation of the agreement. Ensuring the safety of IDF soldiers is the top priority to which we are committed, and we will take every measure necessary to ensure this.”
PICTURES: Giant sign raised in Israel in honour of US President Trump
Cabinet meeting to ratify ceasefire deal postponed to 8pm (Israel-time)
The cabinet meeting to vote on a deal to secure the release of hostages in Gaza has been pushed to 8 p.m., two hours later than originally scheduled, according to Hebrew media reports.
The session had been set for 6 p.m., following a 5 p.m. security cabinet meeting that has yet to begin, delaying the approval of the deal to release the remaining 48 hostages held by terror organizations in Gaza, some 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
- From our partners at Times of Israel
Hostages planned route home to Israel
Stage 1: Transfer to the Red Cross at an agreed-upon point.
Stage 2: Handover to the IDF — special forces will meet the hostages, secure their safety, and conduct an initial medical evaluation.
Stage 3: Arrive at an Israeli reception base to meet their immediate family.
Stage 4: Distribution among Israeli hospitals Sheba, Beilinson, and Ichilov.
Stage 5: First meeting with their family members.
Source: @HenMazzig
PICTURE: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before tonight’s crucial cabinet meeting
Rachel and Jon Goldberg-Polin: ‘We will finally get to take off our stickers and use our tape as tape’
Statement by parents of 23-year-old American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, wounded and abducted by Hamas during the Re’im music festival massacre. He was held hostage for almost 11 months, until his body was recovered from a tunnel in Rafah in the Gaza Strip on 31 August 2024.
Hostage Forum proposes Iron Swords war medal
In a letter to Israel’s Chief of Staff, the Hostages’ Families Headquarters have suggested designs for an Iron Swords War Medal.
“In these days, when the return of the hostages and the end of the war seem closer than ever, we wish to present to you our proposal for the design of the campaign medal for the Iron Swords War – a symbol of heroism, steadfast resilience, and the national unity displayed by the State of Israel since the seventh of October.
“The campaign medal will be dedicated to the regular and reserve soldiers who took part in the fierce and prolonged fighting in the history of the state, to the civilians who acted with devotion in the home front for the return of the hostages, to the victims of hostile actions, to the evacuees who were forced to leave their homes, and to all those who participated in the national effort to defend Israel and defeat the enemy.
“The medal will bear a stately character and will continue the long-standing tradition of honouring the state’s fighters and defenders. Its design is intended to commemorate the heroism of the male and female fighters, to honour the memory of the fallen and the murdered, and to recall the black and bloody Saturday when our world was turned upside down.
“At the centre of the badge is embedded the symbol of the hostages – representing that their return was and remains the central goal of the war, with hope and faith that in the coming days we will once again embrace them all. The design of the medal carries the spirit of mutual responsibility and the resolute stand of the entire nation in the face of the murderous terror attack of 7 October 2023.
“It expresses the State of Israel’s appreciation for all those who contributed to its security and resilience – on the front lines and in the home front alike. Attached is a visualisation of the proposed design, which we wish to present to you as a symbolic and stately milestone towards the end of the war and the beginning of the national recovery process.
With great respect, Hostages’ Families Headquarters”
PICTURE: Israeli farmers create a giant message to the world: Nobel 4 Trump
Marwan Barghouti will NOT be freed as part of any hostage exchange
Despite Hamas’s insistence on including him in the list, Israeli officials reaffirmed that prominent Palestinian terrorist Barghouti remains excluded from all prisoner releases under the current ceasefire agreement, emphasising that his case is not up for negotiation.
Source: ILTV Israel News
REPORTS: Israel will maintain authority over 53% of Gaza’s territory
Anti-Israel protestors in the UK to continue to demonstrate
It’s worth pointing out today that many of those who not that long ago were loudly calling for a ceasefire have not appeared particularly happy that a ceasefire is now being announced.
“Your Party”, the outfit which may or may not be led by Jeremy Corbyn, Zarah Sultana, both of them or neither of them, has tweeted that “until the genocide ends, until Gaza breathes, until apartheid falls, until the occupation is defeated, until we have justice, we march on”. It calls for people to demonstrate in central London this Saturday.
It’s not perhaps surprising that a party which is little more than a giant continuous protest has decided to, well, continue to protest – but what is proving particularly controversial is the decision to include a red triangle emoji – specifically associated with Hamas, rather than the wider Palestinian cause – in the Twitter message.
Who will sit on Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’?
One of the elements of the Trump peace plan involves the creation of a ‘Board of Peace’ as an interim governing body in Gaza – as previously reported by Jewish News, the US President has openly discussed Tony Blair being part of that Board.
However, there are suggestions that the UK is not entirely enthused by the suggestion. Politico reports that the E3 (UK, Germany and France), are set to push for a separate representative on the new Board, quoting a senior British official saying that “there are issues” with Blair.
Despite being the Labour party’s most electorally successful leader, the former Prime Minister excites widely differing opinions – both within Labour as well as across the wider country.
Reports: Israel rejects returning body of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar or his brother
Source: Times of Israel
Hostages’ Families HQ expresses gratitude to peace deal negotiation team
Statement from Israel-based organisation says:
“The Hostages’ Families Headquarters expresses its gratitude to the negotiation team for the efforts that led to the signing of the agreement and requests that the Israeli government approve the agreement this morning.
The hostages’ families wish to thank the security forces for two years of fighting for the return of the hostages.
Even in these emotional moments, we do not forget the sacrifice of thousands of bereaved families and of all IDF fighters and their families.
At this hour, the families of the fallen hostages are following the reports and waiting with bated breath for news about the fate of their loved ones. There will be no true joy until everyone is home.”
Tel Aviv Stock Exchange closes with highest turnover in its history over the intermediate holiday period
Figure of 4.4 billion ILS in shares equates to just over £1 billion
Trump’s withdrawal map – first stage of the deal
This is reportedly the latest withdrawal map presented by President Trump, showing the yellow line, the boundary to which IDF forces will withdraw to enable the release of hostages under the first phase of the agreement.
Key points on the ground: ● Northern Gaza, eastern sectors, Khan Yunis, and Rafah (excluding al-Mawasi) will remain under Israeli control for now.
● Control will also continue along the Morag route and the Philadelphi corridor on the Egyptian border.
● The area of Yasser Abu Shabab’s militia will remain under Israeli control as well.
Hamas official says differences over prisoners could torpedo deal
Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi writes on his X account that disagreements over what prisoners Israel will release as part of a deal to free hostages in Gaza are threatening to derail the deal.
“It seems Netanyahu is trying to sabotage the ceasefire agreement before its implementation, by reneging on prisoner release lists in an attempt to derail the understandings,” he writes.
Mardawi alleges that the lack of agreement on the prisoners exposes Israel’s unreliability regarding troop withdrawals, reconstruction and the reopening of crossings in and out of the Strip.
From our partners at Times of Israel
Danny Danon: ‘We will never forget the bravery and sacrifice of our IDF soldiers’
Full statement from Israel’s Ambassador to the US:
“For two years, the people of Israel have been waiting for the hostages to return home. We thank President @realDonaldTrump and Prime Minister @netanyahu for their unwavering determination and courage. We will never forget the bravery and sacrifice of our IDF soldiers who have fought tirelessly to bring back the hostages.”
YNet: ‘Hamas will control most of the Strip – as early as the end of the week’
Israeli news site reports: “The withdrawal from Gaza began hours after Trump announced the agreement to release the hostages: logistical forces have left the area and the fighting forces will withdraw later. The IDF is folding up posts and returning to defence lines near the border, while Hamas is expected to regain practical control of most of the Strip in the coming days. Thousands of reservists are expected to be released as early as next week.”
Read the full article here.
Nobel winner decided days before Gaza deal, likely putting Trump out of running
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awards the prestigious peace prize, held its final meeting on Monday, the Nobel Institute says, sinking most hopes that US President Donald Trump could be named when the winner is announced tomorrow.
This means a decision was made about the laureate or laureates before the conclusion of an agreement between Israel and Hamas under pressure from Trump, who has made no secret of the fact that he believes he is worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize.
“The last meeting of the Nobel Committee took place on Monday,” Erik Aasheim, spokesman for the Norwegian Nobel Institute, tells AFP.
Comprised of five members, the Nobel Committee typically makes its decision several days or even weeks before and meets one last time in the run-up to the official announcement.
“The final touches were made on Monday, but we never disclose when the Nobel Committee makes its decision,” Aasheim adds.
“There will be a laureate this year,” he says. Some experts have speculated that the Nobel Committee — due to the deteriorated geopolitical situation — might refrain from awarding the prize.
Trump recently said that it would be “a big insult” to the United States if he was not given the prize.
The agreement between Israel and Hamas “has absolutely no impact” on the choice of the 2025 laureate because “the Nobel Committee has already made its decision”, historian Asle Sveen, a specialist in the Nobel Prize, tells AFP.
“Trump will not win the prize this year. I’m 100 percent certain,” he says.
From our partners at Times of Israel
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett: ‘An entire nation awaits you at home’
“And there is hope for your future, declares the Lord, and your children shall return to their own border.”
At this moment, the heart of all Israel is with the families who are finally about to be reunited with their loved ones, both the living and those no longer with us.
My heart is also with the soldiers, both regular and reserve, with the wives of the reservists and their children, with those wounded in body and soul, and above all, with the hundreds of families of the fallen who sacrificed their lives for us.
We will never forget them.
I wish to express my gratitude to President Trump for his unprecedented involvement and dedication. An entire nation awaits you at home.
Movement for Progressive Judaism: ‘We pray this marks a turning point’
A statement from Rabbi Josh Levy and Rabbi Charley Baginsky, Co-Leads of the Movement for Progressive Judaism, on today’s peace deal:
“We welcome this moment with real hope, that the return of hostages and the prospect of ending the war may open a path towards lasting peace. After so much grief and fear, we pray this marks a turning point, when Israelis and Palestinians alike can begin to live with safety, dignity, and justice. Our Jewish values call us to believe that even after deep darkness, peace is possible.”
Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK responds to agreement to release all 48 hostages held in Gaza
“The Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK welcomes the signing of this agreement, designed to bring all 48 hostages home, with a mix of excitement, anticipation, and concern.
We await their imminent return after TWO years in captivity – the living for rehabilitation with their families, and the deceased for proper burial in their homeland. This represents important and meaningful progress toward bringing everyone home, but our struggle is not over and will not end until the last hostage returns.
Among those still held are hostage with strong British ties:
- Avinatan Or, whose mother Ditza is British. He is listed as one of the hostages due to be released alive.
- Alon Ohel, whose extended family live in London. He is listed as one of the hostages due to be released alive.
- Yossi Sharabi, whose brother Eli was also abducted, and whose British wife and daughters were murdered on 7 October 2023. Yossi was murdered in captivity and his body is expected to be released as part of this deal.
Ada Sagi (former hostage who was held in Gaza for 50+ days), who worked as a peace activist and her London-based, British-Israeli son Noam Sagi said: “This is an extraordinary day. A huge weight has been lifted, and our hearts are racing to welcome them home. We will envelope them with love, with the warmth they’ve been denied for too long. Trump has shown that the impossible can be made possible”.
Adam Ma’anit, whose cousin Tsachi Idan was taken hostage and murdered in captivity, with his body returned in February 2025, said: “The news that a deal has finally been reached to bring home the remaining 48 hostages is what we have been hoping and fighting for throughout these painful two years. It’s impossible to describe the mix of relief and heartbreak we feel – relief that they may at last come home, and heartbreak that for some, it will be for burial. Their families deserve the chance to grieve properly, and those still alive must be returned urgently for medical care and the embrace of their loved ones.
We couldn’t bring my cousin Tsachi home alive, so this is a bittersweet day for our family. But the hostage families have become part of our extended family – their joy is our joy, and their pain is our pain. We have fought together. They have led with courage, forged unbreakable bonds, and blazed like beacons of humanity in the darkest of times. They are the triumph of the human spirit”.
Sharone Lifshitz, whose parents were taken hostage on 7 October. Her mother Yocheved was released in 2023 and her father, Oded , was murdered in captivity and later returned after 500 days as part of a hostage deal, said: “For over two years, we have been calling for a deal to bring our loved ones home. Hearing just now that a ceasefire has taken hold fills me with hope that the remaining 20 hostages, now confirmed to be alive, will soon be reunited with their families.
We also hope that the remains of those who were killed will be found and returned for burial. We have always known that only a negotiated deal could bring our loved ones back and ease the suffering of our neighbours. For us, this moment brings enormous joy, laced with the profound pain of those we lost, including the 42 hostages, like my father, who could have been saved had a deal been reached earlier.
I thank President Trump and all those in the UK and around the world who have worked tirelessly to bring this conflict to an end.”
Nivi Feldman and Haya Langerman from The Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK added:
“We are anticipating a few emotional days ahead. For families who will finally welcome their loved ones home, there will be immense relief — but for those receiving them for burial, the heartbreak will be unbearable. If any hostages are not returned now, it will be devastating beyond words.
This agreement brings hope, but also deep pain. We are profoundly grateful to all the nations who have made an extraordinary effort to ensure this deal is possible and to bring an end to the war — especially President Trump and his team, whose leadership and determination have been instrumental in achieving this breakthrough.
We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with every family until each and every hostage is home and we will embrace the hostages on their return.”
South African Zionist Federation welcomes news of agreement with ‘deep relief and heartfelt hope’
Statement in full from Rolene Marks, national spokesperson:
“The South African Zionist Federation welcomes with deep relief and heartfelt hope the news that an agreement has been reached for Hamas to release all remaining hostages in Gaza, twenty believed to be alive and forty-eight in total, and to bring the war to an end. After more than two years of anguish, fear, and longing since the atrocities of 7 October 2023, the prayers of Israel and the Jewish people are finally being answered.
“For just over two years since that day of horror, Israel and the Jewish world have carried an unbearable weight. Families have lived in anguish, a nation has grieved, and our collective conscience has refused to rest until every captive was returned. Today, that long-awaited moment of redemption is finally near.
“We honour the extraordinary courage of the hostage families who refused to surrender hope, and we pay tribute to the people of Israel who have endured unimaginable pain yet held firm to the principle that every life matters and no one is left behind.
“We also honour the courage and sacrifice of Israel’s soldiers, who fought and fell with the sacred mission of defending their people from an ongoing genocidal threat and restoring the captives. Their bravery and devotion made this moment possible, and their memory will forever be a blessing to Am Yisrael.
“It is deeply painful that this agreement includes the release of Palestinian terrorists who have committed heinous crimes, but it stands as a stark reminder of the price Israel is willing to pay for the sanctity of life. The redemption of captives – pidyon shvuyim – is one of the highest principles in Judaism, and this agreement reflects the moral and spiritual foundation of the Jewish State, which will go to extraordinary lengths to bring its sons and daughters home.
“The SAZF extends its deepest thanks to President Donald J. Trump for his remarkable leadership and relentless diplomacy in brokering this historic agreement, and to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his steadfast determination to bring Israel’s children home while safeguarding the nation’s future. Their shared resolve has delivered a moment that will be remembered for generations.
“As reported, the deal forms the first phase of a broader peace plan, including the release of all hostages in exchange for Israeli troop withdrawal to agreed lines and the freeing of nearly 1,950 Palestinian terrorists in prison, with humanitarian aid to follow. Further stages of the plan have yet to be finalised, and Israel’s security and moral imperatives must continue to guide every step forward.
“This is a day of both triumph and mourning – triumph that life and light have prevailed over terror, and mourning for those who did not return. Their memory will forever sanctify this moment of justice and release.
“To the people of Israel, to the freed captives, to the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice, and to the families who never stopped believing: Am Yisrael Chai. May this day mark the beginning of healing, strength, and peace.”
Statement from Jewish Leadership Council
Israel sources: President Donald Trump is expected to arrive Sunday
Officials are also preparing for a possible Saturday night arrival.
The visit will be short: • Reception at Ben Gurion Airport • Possible speech at the Knesset • Quick turnaround, may depart the same night or stay until Monday if the hostage release is delayed. The U.S. Embassy has reportedly requested the King David Hotel in Jerusalem to vacate two floors for Trump’s team, forcing some guests to relocate.
IN PICTURES: HOSTAGE SQUARE, TEL AVIV
New Ceasefire Details:
- There will be no public signing ceremony, as the agreement was finalized overnight.
- Teams are now finalising the list of prisoners to be released.
- All hostages, both living and deceased, will be released in one phase during the 72-hour period following government approval, not necessarily at its conclusion.
- A joint Israeli-Egyptian-Qatari task force, potentially with Turkish involvement, will be formed to locate the bodies of hostages Hamas fails to return.
Source: Tamir Morag, Israel’s Channel 14
IN PICTURES: Israel celebrating breakthrough hostage deal with Hamas
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis: ‘This is the day we have been praying and waiting for’
Speaking from Jerusalem’s Western Wall, the Chief Rabbi added:
“We give thanks to Hashem for the news that all hostages will soon be coming home, amidst significant moves towards a resolution of the bitter, two-year conflict. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the hostages, whose horrific unimaginable ordeal is not yet over, as they wait to find out the fate of their loved ones.”
‘We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with every family until each and every hostage is home’
Nivi Feldman and Haya Langerman, Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK, tell Jewish News:
“We are anticipating a few emotional days ahead. For families who will finally welcome their loved ones home, there will be immense relief — but for those receiving them for burial, the heartbreak will be unbearable. And if any hostages are not returned now, it will be devastating beyond words.
This agreement brings hope, but also deep pain. We are profoundly grateful to all the nations that have invested extraordinary effort to make this deal possible and to bring an end to the war — especially President Trump, whose leadership and determination have been instrumental in achieving this breakthrough.
We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with every family until each and every hostage is home.”
Yair Lapid: ‘No one deserves the Nobel Peace Prize more than Donald Trump’
Full statement from the Leader of the Opposition in Israel:
“I congratulate President Trump; no one deserves the Nobel Peace Prize more, and beyond that, the eternal gratitude of the people of Israel. I congratulate his team, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Marco Rubio, and Tony Blair. I congratulate Prime Minister Netanyahu, the commanders and soldiers of the IDF, and above all, the families of the hostages, lions and lionesses who never let the world forget, even for a moment. In these two difficult years, this is a moment of great light in the darkness. Return in peace, angels of peace.”
Mayor of Kiryat Bialik announces plan to name new stadium after US President Donald Trump
In a statement, Mayor Dukorski said: “We are profoundly grateful to President Trump for his actions to free Israeli civilians and soldiers who were abducted on October 7, 2023. We thank President Trump for putting his full weight behind the effort to release the hostages and dedicating extensive efforts that ultimately succeeded. As an expression of our deep appreciation and respect, the new stadium being built in Kiryat Bialik will be named after President Trump.”-
Tel Aviv area hospitals prepare to treat malnourished hostages
From our partners at Times of Israel:
“The Health Ministry says the health system is ready to receive the approximately 20 hostages returning from Hamas captivity.
The preparations, led by Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, Head of the Medical Division, are based on “lessons learned from previous releases and rescue operations,” the Ministry says.
Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Tel Aviv Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center in Tel Aviv, and Beilinson Medical Center in Petah Tikva have been designated to receive the returnees. If urgent medical care is required, freed hostages may be taken to Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba or Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, which are closer to Gaza.
The National Center of Forensic Medicine (Abu Kabir) is completing preparations to receive the bodies of those who are dead, as done in previous cases, where they will confirm their identities.
Hospitals have received detailed guidelines adapted to the hostages’ expected medical condition. Each returnee will be treated in a private room within a separate, secure area of the hospital, accompanied by family members. The ministry emphasizes that the long period of captivity heightens the risk of severe malnutrition, requiring precise medical and nutritional supervision.
The ministry says that it contacted the Red Cross several weeks ago, requesting that hostages, who are thought to have been starved during their captivity, not be overfed before their return, as Hamas may do to try and hide their previously emaciated state.
According to the ministry, after prolonged starvation, a sudden increase in food intake can lead to what is known as refeeding syndrome, which may cause neurological, respiratory, and cardiac complications.
“These are deeply sensitive moments for the returnees and their families,” the ministry says. “Respecting their privacy is essential to ensure their recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration into life after captivity.”
A Sheba Medical Center spokesperson says the hospital “is in the midst of final preparations to receive the hostages.”
“Ichilov Medical Center is ready at any given moment to receive the returnees and provide them with medical care and a human environment at the best level,” a hospital spokesperson says.”
PICTURES: Hostages’ families in Washington DC receiving news of President Trump’s announcement of peace agreement
Credit: Liri Agami, Alon Kaplan
President Herzog: ‘Deal will bring moments of unimaginable relief to dear families who have not slept a wink for 733 days’
Statement on Twitter/X by Isaac Herzog:
“This is a morning of great and important tidings. I express my full support for the agreement reached in Egypt. I wish to strengthen the hand of the Prime Minister and extend my gratitude to the negotiation team, the mediators, and all those involved in this effort.
“I believe that the members of the government and the cabinet will make the right decision. I wish to express boundless thanks to President Donald Trump, who brought about an agreement that advances us towards ending the war and fosters hope for a change in the reality of the Middle East.
There is no doubt that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his steadfast determination to bring an end to the war and secure the return of the hostages. If he chooses to visit here in the coming days, he will be received with great love and appreciation by the people of Israel.
“This agreement will bring moments of unimaginable relief to dear families who have not slept a wink for 733 days. Approving the agreement is also an opportunity to mend, to heal, to open a window of hope for the day after – in the Middle East, and no less importantly, within ourselves, as part of a moment of national goodwill among our people.
I do not take lightly the costs of this agreement or the complex effort to bring everyone back. It will bring with it difficult and painful moments that are a necessity in the reality we live in. I believe in our ability to overcome them. Together.
This is a moment to honour the heroes among us. To our sons and daughters who fought bravely to bring them home. To the bereaved families, to those wounded in body and soul, and to all who have paid indescribable prices for this historic and significant moment. “And they shall return from the land of the enemy… and the children shall return to their borders.”
With God’s help. The people of Israel live.
Gal Gadot: ‘I’m not religious, but I decided to light a candle and pray’
World leaders respond to news of peace deal
Prime Minister Keir Starmer: “This is a moment of profound relief that will be felt all the way around the world, but particularly for the hostages, their families, and for the civilian population of Gaza, who have all endured unimaginable suffering over the last two years.”
French President Emmanuel Macron describes: “Great hope for the hostages and their families, for the Palestinians in Gaza, and for the entire region.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney: “After years of intense suffering, peace finally feels attainable.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese: “After more than two years of conflict, hostages held and a devastating loss of life, this is a much-needed step towards peace.”
All of them thank Qatar, Egypt and Turkey for what they describe as helping to support the negotiations.
List of hostages believed to be alive and set to return home
1. Elkana Bohbot
2. Bar Kuperstein
3. Maxim Harkin
4. Segev Kalfon
5. Ziv Berman
6. Gali Berman
7. Eitan Horn
8. Ariel Konyo
9. David Konyo
10. Eitan Mor
11. Matan Angrist
12. Nimrod Cohen
13. Avintan Or
14. Alon Ahel
15. Yosef Haim Ohana
16. Matan Tsangoker
17. Evitar David
18. Guy Gilboa-Dalal
19. Omri Miran
20. Rom Breslavski
Negotiators in Sharm el-Sheikh ‘working on completing details’
Israeli negotiators are still in Sharm el-Sheikh, “working on completing the details of the agreement, with an emphasis on the list of terrorists to be released,” a senior member of the team tells The Times of Israel.
Preparing the list is urgent for the security cabinet and government meeting later today, says the official.
Crowds fill Hostages Square in Tel Aviv
Crowds are again filling Hostages Square in Tel Aviv as the rain clears out.
Standing in the center of the square, waving large Israeli and American flags, protest regular Miki Ziv says she has been in the square since 5 a.m.
The American flag, she says, belongs to a friend traveling in Thailand who asked her to take care of it for him.
Ziv is among the many expressing gratitude toward the United States and President Donald Trump for achieving the hostage deal, while remaining critical of how Jerusalem handled the crisis.
“We understood that Trump would bring back the hostages and that’s what happened, unfortunately,” she says. “We trusted our own government but God wanted this and Trump gave it a big push for things to happen here.”
Ziv sports a pink visor reading “TRUMP LAS VEGAS” in capital letters, a souvenir relatives brought back from the US for her.
“Whoever steps out of line a bit, they succeed, so hats off to him,” she says of Trump. “Without America, we wouldn’t be worth anything.”
She says the time has come for American Jews to immigrate en masse to Israel. “Now they’ll understand what Israel is,” she says. “There’s nowhere like Israel.”
Former hostages celebrate news of initial plan
Former hostages of Hamas have celebrated the announcement that the group and Israel have agreed to an initial plan to pause fighting in Gaza and release at least some remaining hostages and prisoners.
US President Donald Trump revealed the news late on Wednesday, writing in a post on his Truth Social platform: “This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. “All Parties will be treated fairly!”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media: “With God’s help we will bring them all home.”
Separately, Hamas said the deal would ensure the withdrawal of Israeli troops, as well as allow for the entry of aid and exchange of hostages and prisoners.
Emily Damari, a British-Israeli who was held captive by Hamas for more than a year before being released in January, posted a video to her Instagram celebrating the news with friends, which included fellow former hostage Romi Gonen.
The group can be seen hugging each other and dancing around a room as they toast “L’chaim”.
Starmer expresses ‘profound relief’
Israel and Hamas’ agreement to the initial phases of a plan to end fighting in Gaza is a “moment of profound relief that will be felt around the world”, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
The US president said late on Wednesday that the warring parties have agreed to the “first phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners.
Responding to the news, Sir Keir said: “I welcome the news that a deal has been reached on the first stage of President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza.
“This is a moment of profound relief that will be felt all around the world, but particularly for the hostages, their families, and for the civilian population of Gaza, who have all endured unimaginable suffering over the last two years.”
The “tireless diplomatic efforts” of the US, as well as Egypt, Qatar and Turkey have been crucial in moving towards peace, the Prime Minister said.
He added: “This agreement must now be implemented in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza.
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