Families, supporters celebrate at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv as Hamas agrees to release all living captives and all remains it can locate * Reports say exchange for 1,950 prisoners may happen 72 hours after pact goes into
The Times of Israel is liveblogging Thursday’s events as they happen.
French leader Emmanuel Macron says France will continue to hold talks with international partners on ending fighting in Gaza and establishing a Palestinian state.
“This agreement must mark the end of the war and the beginning of a political solution based on the two-state solution,” Macron says in posts on social media platform X.
“France stands ready to contribute to this goal. We will discuss it this afternoon in Paris with our international partners,” he adds.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says “the 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.”
He says it would be a moment of profound relief, especially for the hostages, their families, and the civilian population of Gaza, and thanked the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey for their “tireless” diplomatic efforts.
“We call on all parties to meet the commitments they have made, to end the war, and to build the foundations for a just and lasting end to the conflict and a sustainable path to a long-term peace,” Starmer says.
In Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz says Berlin is still watching the situation regarding US President Donald Trump’s Gaza deal but is confident a solution will be found this week.
“We are encouraged by the developments in Israel. There is obviously a great chance of reaching an agreement with Hamas in the next few hours,” Merz says after a meeting with senior members of his governing coalition in Berlin.
Man shot to death in Shfaram
Police are investigating the death of a 33-year-old man in the northern city of Shfaram, after he was shot and killed while in his truck this morning.
Paramedics found the victim, named by Arab outlets as Nazareth resident Wiam Fakhuri, unconscious and suffering from bullet wounds. They pronounced him dead at the scene.
Officers are searching for suspects and have not yet reported any arrests.
Near the scene of the shooting, authorities found a burning car that they suspect was used by Fakhuri’s assailants, Ynet reports.
Smotrich says he will vote against deal, claims war to continue
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says his far-right Religious Zionism party will not vote in support of a Gaza ceasefire deal that will see hostages freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a halt to fighting in Gaza.
Smotrich expresses “mixed emotions” saying that while he feels “immense joy” at the pending return of the hostages, he feels “tremendous fear of the consequences of emptying the prisons and releasing the next generation of terrorist leaders, who will do everything to continue spilling rivers of Jewish blood, God forbid.”
As such, he says “we cannot join in the short-sighted celebrations or vote in favor of the deal.”
The security cabinet is set to meet this afternoon to be briefed on the Gaza ceasefire deal, with the full government meeting afterward to vote on the agreement.
Smotrich claims that Israel will continue fighting after the hostages are released.
“It is a huge responsibility to ensure that this is not, God forbid, a deal of ‘hostages in exchange for stopping the war,’ as Hamas thinks and brags about,” Smotrich declares, arguing that immediately after the return of the hostages, Israel should “continue to strive with all its might for the real eradication of Hamas and the real demilitarization of Gaza so that it no longer poses a threat to Israel.”
He speaks out against a political process looking toward Palestinian statehood or the use of an international force to secure Gaza, both key tenets of the 20-point US plan for Gaza.
“It is a huge obligation to ensure that we do not return to the Oslo path, God forbid, and that we do not abandon our security to the hands of foreigners,” he says, boasting that his opposition to previous deals “led to progress in the occupation of Gaza and the application of military pressure that brought Hamas to its knees.”
Speaking with the Ynet news site, Settlements and National Projects Minister Orit Strock, a member of Smotrich’s party, praises some of the deal’s achievements but adds that the party could bolt the government over the issue. “[I don’t] know how it’s morally possible to remain in a government that does Oslo III, sends soldiers to fight and says — we gave up on these goals,” she says.
Tel Aviv mayor hopes for return to normalcy once hostages back
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai appears at Hostages Square to show support for the families of hostages ahead of the signing of a deal for their loved ones’ release.
He says once they are home, he would like to see Tel Aviv return to routine, including the square in front of the Museum of Art, which was largely taken over by the movement for the hostages’ release over the last two years.
“I would like to come back to regular life,” he says. “This is it. This is a public square, and life changes.”
The mayor expresses cautious optimism regarding the hostage release deal.
“I hope it will be a reality. I am a doer, I am not a philosopher,” he says. “I’m still waiting.”
He adds, “I still have the pin because I would like to see them here… This is the first time I am really optimistic. My feeling is that we are going to see them soon.”
Huldai says he believes peace in the Middle East is possible.
“I believe peace is achievable,” he says. “The time of peace is just relative. It takes 100 years, it takes 20 years. He says there needs to be a choice “to live together.” He adds, “If we do it, I believe it’s possible.”
Opposition leaders hail Trump, families and troops; Gantz praises Netanyahu as well
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid endorses the Hostages and Missing Families Forum’s call for US President Donald Trump to deliver a public address in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv.
“There is nothing more fitting, more symbolic, more moving than a speech by President Trump in Hostages Square with the return home of our hostages. It would be a historic moment. I congratulate the families on the initiative,” tweets Lapid.
Benny Gantz, the leader of the opposition Blue and White party, thanks both Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the impending release of the hostages, praising the premier for “the important and correct decision to adopt the President’s plan,” while at the same time noting that “the task is not yet complete.”
“Alongside the excitement and the great expectation for the return of all the hostages,” Israel must prepare itself militarily to protect itself and to “ensure the implementation of the framework in full, including the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.”
Naftali Bennett, who allied with Lapid and Gantz and is now plotting a political comeback, thanks Trump for his “unprecedented involvement and dedication,” declaring in a statement that “the hearts of the entire people of Israel are with the families who will finally be reunited with their loved ones, living and dead.” He also pays homage to troops and their families.
Yair Golan, who leads The Democrats opposition party, thanks Trump, the troops, the hostage families and “the masses of Israelis who took to the streets,” without mentioning Netanyahu.
Instead, he says that after the hostages return, Israelis can begin the work of “rebuilding a strong, democratic, and just Israel.”
Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman also thanks Trump and “all those involved” in the agreement for what he calls a “morning of hope and great joy.”
In a statement, Yoaz Hendel’s new party HaMiluimnikim (“The Reservists”) thanks the troops for the deal but notes that “their work is not over, now they are required to save the country and get it out of the political mud.”
Israeli source says year-old ceasefire plan led to current success
While many are praising US President Donald Trump and his administration for the deal, a senior member of Israel’s hostage team says the key to the success of talks in Sharm el-Sheikh was a “brilliant diplomatic plan prepared by Prime Minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] and [Strategic Affairs Minister Ron] Dermer in cooperation with the US.”
The source adds that the plan “included the Arab and Muslim countries.”
According to the official, during a September 2024 trip to Washington, DC, by senior members of the team, negotiators and members of Netanyahu’s office began working with the US — initially under the Joe Biden Administration — on a plan offering safe passage to exile for Hamas leaders and an end to the war in exchange for the release of all the hostage, demilitarization, and the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip.
“This is more than a year’s work,” says the official.
“This, along with the military pressure, turned the screws on Hamas,” says the official.
Turkey says it will monitor Gaza ceasefire closely, thanks Trump for pulling Israel toward deal
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Ankara will closely monitor the strict implementation of the Gaza ceasefire deal and continue to contribute to the process, while maintaining efforts to push for a Palestinian state.
In a statement on X, Erdogan says he thanked US President Donald Trump, “who demonstrated the necessary political will to encourage the Israeli government toward the ceasefire,” as well as Qatar and Egypt. Israel’s role in the process is not mentioned.
Shekel gains more muscle after deal announced
Israel’s shekel sees sharp gains after the announcement of an agreement between Israel and the Hamas terror group ending fighting in Gaza and releasing all remaining hostages in exchange for prisoners.
The shekel appreciates 0.6 percent against the US dollar, trading around NIS 3.247, in early morning trading. The local currency has gained about 1.7% against the dollar this month.
“The main momentum will be driven by a sharp decline in the level of uncertainty and risk aversion,” says Mizrahi Tefahot Bank chief markets economist Ronen Menahem. “There is a lot of money looking for investments in the world and Israel has been a focus for these investments.”
“In the immediate term, we will see an improvement in sentiment across stock and bond markets, and we will probably see another appreciation of the shekel,” Menahem adds.
US envoy Huckabee fetes ‘peacemaker’ Trump
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee says he is “so very proud to serve” US President Donald Trump, calling him “truly a PEACEMAKER!”
“Many are those who LOVE peace & even march for it,” he writes on X in Trumpian fashion. “Few are those who MAKE it.”
“Forget Nobel Prize,” he says of Trump’s desire for the elite award, set to be announced tomorrow. “Trump’s prize is from ABOVE!”
Right-wing politicians praise deal but note ‘costs;’ far-right leaders mum
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir have yet to react to the news of the deal in Gaza, with the far-right party heads seen as possible obstacles to the agreement being ratified.
Others in Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party have come out with cautious support, including MK Simcha Rothman, who says that while “now is the time to laugh and to dance with the hope for the swift release of all the hostages,” there is also “much to weep over.”
This is “primarily” regarding “the delay in applying military pressure due to various partial deal negotiations,” he states, in addition to offering regret regarding Israel’s failure to legislate a death penalty for terrorists and the use of Qatar as a mediator in the talks with Hamas.
“If, God willing, the deal is carried out and is fulfilled exactly as written, and if Israel’s freedom of action to eliminate any threat to its security is preserved, our situation will be better than it was before the deal,” he continues — warning that “there is still much work to be done” and that “we must not become addicted to illusions. The agreement has costs and dangers.”
Religious Zionism MK Ohad Tal, whose party has expressed reservations with the deal, thanks God and the troops for the release of the hostages, but insists that “we must not turn a blind eye to the serious problems in the agreement.”
“It is our duty to ensure that Hamas is indeed dismantled, that Gaza no longer poses a threat to the State of Israel, and so we shall do,” he tweets.
Smotrich previously slammed the Trump plan as a “resounding diplomatic failure” and has set out his party’s “red lines” on the deal — although he has stopped short of saying outright that he would try to torpedo it.
Ben Gvir recently threatened to bolt the government if Hamas “continues to exist” after the hostages are freed.
The opposition on Wednesday promised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a political “safety net” if needed to ensure the deal is approved.
In Netanyahu’s Likud party, Justice Minister Yariv Levin comes out in favor of the Gaza deal, but notes that it includes “harsh costs.”
“Releasing terrorists is a very high price. We will continue to act to ensure that Hamas never again possesses weapons or rules the Gaza Strip. There will no longer be a forward terrorist base right up against our borders,” he says, adding that “the entire people of Israel woke up to a morning of great triumph” because “the dear hostages are returning home.”
Similarly, Tourism and Housing Minister Haim Katz declares that “now we must ensure that Gaza terrorists will not pose a threat to Israeli citizens in the future.”
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi appears to frame the deal with Hamas as a complete victory.
“I congratulate our Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump on the agreement to bring all our loved ones home, while firmly and persistently insisting on achieving all the war’s objectives for Israel’s victory,” Karhi tweets.
Security Cabinet to meet on deal this afternoon ahead of vote
The security cabinet will meet at 5 p.m. to be briefed on the Gaza ceasefire deal, an Israeli official says.
The full government will meet afterward to vote on the agreement.
