Just days after the two-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023, massacre that sparked the Israel-Hamas war, the Trump administration’s ceasefire deal has brought all surviving Israeli hostages home from the Gaza Strip.
Per the deal, in exchange for the 20 Israeli hostages, Israel was required to release over 1,700 Gazans held in Israeli jails back into the Gaza Strip.
As Israel released the prisoners, “Free Palestine” activists rejoiced in a spectacularly dishonest way by posting a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@plestiio/video/7461915368739704097?q=palestinian%20hostages%20released&amp;t=1760578336542">video</a> on TikTok. The video, which has amassed a whopping 131,000 likes, claims Palestinian “hostages” were released in the deal.
The only issue: Israel was not holding any hostages.
By <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hostage">definition</a>, a hostage is “a person held by one party in a conflict as a pledge pending the fulfillment of an agreement; one that is involuntarily controlled by an outside influence.”
This is precisely what Hamas did on October 7. As their rifles unloaded into crowds of civilians, the terrorists made sure to abduct over 250 people, who committed no crime, as a means of leverage against Israel and to strong-arm the country into restricting their military response.
<div id="attachment_987281" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-987281" class="size-large wp-image-987281" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240860508-864x576.jpg" alt="RAMAT GAN, ISRAEL - OCTOBER 13: Released hostage David Cunio (2L) walks with his wife, former hostage, Sharon Aloni-Cunio (L) in front of his brother, released hostage, Ariel Cunio(R), and his partner, former hostage Hostage survivor Arbel Yahud (C-R), after arriving at Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer on October 13, 2025 in Ramat Gan, Israel. The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has brought an end to the two years of war that followed the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. A condition of the deal was the immediate return of 48 hostages held in Gaza, around 20 of whom were believed to be alive. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240860508-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240860508-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240860508-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240860508.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images</div>
By contrast, the prisoners released by Israel in the deal were not innocent “hostages” as the Free Palestine movement wants you to think. They were primarily violent criminals with ties to terrorism.
Here are six examples.
<h3>Imad Qawasmeh</h3>
A senior Hamas <a href="https://x.com/IsraelMFA/status/1977732436826939410">Commander</a> from Hebron, Imad Qawasmeh, was captured in 2004 during a targeted operation by Israeli special forces. He personally directed the two suicide bombers responsible for the twin bus bombings in Beersheba on August 31, 2004.
The attack claimed the lives of 16 Israelis and left more than 100 others wounded.
An Israeli military tribunal found Qawasmeh guilty of murder, active participation in a terrorist organization, and illegal weapons trafficking. His crimes earned him a sentence of 16 consecutive life terms in prison.
<h3>Bakr Badr</h3>
A Hamas <a href="https://x.com/IsraelMFA/status/1977736448087412966">terrorist</a> from the town of Beit Liqya, Bakr Badr, was imprisoned for his involvement in a Hamas terror network active during the Second Intifada. This cell was responsible for a series of deadly attacks targeting Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Among the attacks were two major incidents: a 2003 suicide bombing near the Tzrifin army base that claimed the lives of nine Israelis, and a 2004 bombing at a Tel Aviv bus stop that killed one person and wounded several others. His capture marked the dismantling of part of the Hamas infrastructure operating in the area at the time.
<h3>Samir Ibrahim Mahmoud Abu Nima</h3>
An Islamic Jihad <a href="https://x.com/IsraelMFA/status/1977737833549816124">terrorist</a> from Abu Dis, Samir Ibrahim Mahmoud Abu Nima, was sentenced to life imprisonment for carrying out a 1983 bus bombing in Jerusalem.
The brutal attack murdered six Israeli civilians — Esther Ido, Nurit Peleg Mizrahi, Esther Peleg Mizrahi, Slav Demsky, Yehuda Kaklan, and Shoshana Zussman Galanti — and wounded 46 others.
In addition to the bombing, he played a key role in smuggling weapons to other terror cells and in plotting to rig a gas truck with explosives in Jerusalem — a plan intended to cause mass death and destruction among innocent civilians.
<h3>Mohammed Shamasneh </h3>
A Hamas <a href="https://x.com/IsraelMFA/status/1977738959682785785">terrorist</a>, Mohammed Shamasneh, was serving multiple life sentences for a series of cold-blooded murders carried out in the early 1990s. His crimes included the 1990 abduction and brutal killing of two Jerusalem teenagers, Ronen Karamani and Lior Tubul, both from the city’s Ramot neighborhood; the murder of taxi driver Rafi Doron that same year; and the 1993 ambush and killing of IDF soldier Yehoshua Friedberg.
Shamasneh’s actions were part of a wider Hamas campaign of terror aimed at targeting both civilians and soldiers, leaving behind a legacy of grief and horror among his victims’ families.
<div id="attachment_987285" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-987285" class="size-large wp-image-987285" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240432263-864x576.jpg" alt="TOPSHOT - Buses carrying Palestinians released from Israeli prisons under a Gaza ceasefire and hostage exchange deal with Palestinian factions, arrive outside the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 13, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP) (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240432263-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240432263-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240432263-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240432263.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images</div>
<h3>Ayham Kamamgi</h3>
A Fatah <a href="https://x.com/IsraelMFA/status/1977740102034944465">terrorist</a> from the village of Dan, Ayham Kamamgi, was serving two life sentences for his role in the 2006 abduction and cold-blooded murder of Israeli teenager Eliyahu Asheri near Ramallah. 
The attack was part of a coordinated effort by his terror cell to target young Israelis and sow fear across the region.
In 2021, he gained notoriety once again as one of the six convicted terrorists who escaped from Israel’s high-security Gilboa Prison, sparking a nationwide manhunt. He was recaptured after several days on the run.
<h3>Ahmad Adel Jaber Saada</h3>
A Hamas <a href="https://x.com/IsraelMFA/status/1977738357355483461">terrorist</a> from Eastern Jerusalem and holder of an Israeli ID card, Ahmad Adel Jaber Saada, was sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in a Hamas terror cell based in Bethlehem that carried out multiple deadly attacks during the early 2000s.
He played a direct role in the November 21, 2002, suicide bombing in Jerusalem, a horrific attack that murdered 11 Israelis and left dozens more wounded. Saada personally assisted the bomber and drove him to the scene of the massacre, ensuring the attack’s success and maximum civilian casualties.
If “innocent Palestinian hostages” were released by Israel every time a swap occurred, as the activists would like you to think, history would not show that it always comes back to haunt them.
A prime example of this is the now-deceased Yahya Sinwar. Sinwar was arrested in 1988 for serious crimes such as abduction and murder. During his time in prison, Israel graciously tasked its doctors with removing a brain abscess he had, saving his life.
In 2011, he was released as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange, in which Israel released 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in return for the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Throughout the 12 years since his release, Sinwar rose to become the leader of Hamas in Gaza and served as the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks. He died one year ago while hiding in a tunnel in Gaza.
From <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lin_nichi/video/7527500220242955527?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc&amp;web_id=7215984656980690478">claiming</a> Jesus was a Palestinian to claiming Israel is committing a modern rendition of the Holocaust, the “Free Palestine” movement has always relied on twisted information and blatant lies to gain support. The “Palestinian hostages” narrative is a continuation of this tactic.
Don’t fall for it.
* * *
Jacob Falach is an associate producer at The Daily Wire. You can find him on Instagram at: @jacobfalach.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

MixCollage-16-Oct-2025-02-33-PM-5250

Israel Freed Prisoners, Not Hostages — There’s A Difference

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Few Hollywood stars loathed President Donald Trump quite like Michael Rapaport. Think Robert De Niro-level rage, with more colorful language.
The “Beautiful Girls” alum routinely hurled words against Trump that can’t be repeated here. The first word of a common Rapaport epithet? Pig.
Rapaport, touring the country as a stand-up comedian, views the President differently today.
The veteran actor/comic is a loud and proud defender of Israel. He has used his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcW_OJMsc2o">eponymous podcast</a>, social media accounts, and media interviews to let people know he hasn’t forgotten about them … even if his Hollywood peers have been shockingly silent on the matter. It’s given him a strange, and well-earned, new respect for the Commander-in-Chief.
“My views have changed,” <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/michael-rapaport-on-standing-up-for-the-israeli-hostages/id1740762722?i=1000731058479">Rapaport told this reporter</a> and the host of Denver’s “Ryan Schuiling Live” October 8 on 630 KHOW. The star recalled meeting several freed hostages along with the family members of some killed by Hamas terrorists.
“Knowing in my heart, in my guts, in my soul that that’s why I was able to meet them, it’s because of Trump … I can’t make fun of him anymore. I can make fun in a fun, loving way, but I can’t be disrespectful knowing what I know … and I’m good with that.
“He deserves my respect, and he deserves Jews’ respect. I’m proud that I’ve changed,” said Rapaport, days after the President struck a tentative peace deal that includes the release of all remaining hostages.
<div id="attachment_877391" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-877391" class="size-large wp-image-877391" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2036403442-865x576.jpg" alt="TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - FEBRUARY 24: Michael Rapaport speaks to the crowd as people gather outside the HaKirya base which serves as the IDF’s headquarters to demand the return of the hostages held by Hamas on February 24, 2024 in Tel Aviv, Israel.” Frustrations with the government have grown as over 100 hostages remain captive in Gaza, after more than four months of war between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2036403442-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2036403442-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2036403442-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2036403442.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />Roy Rochlin/Getty Images</div>
Rapaport has worked steadily in Hollywood for years, including on films directed by industry giants such as Spike Lee, Clint Eastwood, and James Mangold. He’s understandably frustrated that so few stars have spoken up on the hostages’ behalf.
“It’s very, very, very, very one-sided,” he said of the industry regarding the Israel/Palestinian divide. “I would accept [actors saying] ‘bring the hostages home and free Palestine,’” he said. “We’ve had two Oscars, two Grammys, two Emmys [ceremonies] in the two years, and not one person said it … These are my peers. It’s been very frustrating and disappointing.”
Rapaport spots a hypocrisy beyond the surface regarding the matter.
“This is a group that will scream and yell about everything … If there had been one, just one African-American from, let’s say, Miami, the entire perspective on this whole thing would be changed … or five college students from, say, Spellman or Clark or traditionally black universities.”
Rapaport, along with Debra Messing, Patricia Heaton, Five for Fighting’s John Ondrasik, and David Schwimmer, has been among the very few stars to either defend Israel, demand the hostages be released, or both.
And while he refuses to play the Victim Card, the “Atypical” star hints it has cost him professionally.
“I’m a proud Jewish man, of course, I’m gonna stand up and fight vigorously. What I’ve dealt with, the sacrifices I’ve made &#8230; doesn’t compare to people whose lives have been lost … the agony and the trauma and the terror [hostage families have] faced.”
“I’m built and ready for every little bit of ramifications … I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said. “I’ve been blessed to have the means and the forum and platform … I’ve been to Israel seven times. I’ve heard so many stories … I’ve gained far more than I’ve lost.”
<div id="attachment_986297" style="width: 748px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-986297" class="size-large wp-image-986297" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2237062025-738x576.jpg" alt="NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ - SEPTEMBER 25: Michael Rapaport performs at The Stress Factory Comedy Club on September 25, 2025 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)" width="738" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2237062025-738x576.jpg 738w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2237062025-300x234.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2237062025-768x599.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2237062025.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 738px) 100vw, 738px" />NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ &#8211; SEPTEMBER 25: Michael Rapaport performs at The Stress Factory Comedy Club on September 25, 2025, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)</div>
The latter refers to potential acting roles and stand-up gigs. Pro-Palestinian protesters previously coaxed clubs in Michigan and Alabama to cancel his stand-up shows. A Portland-based effort featured a poster of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/antifa-michael-rapaport-portland-protest/">Rapaport with X’s over his eyes.</a>
His Denver appearances at Comedy Works from October 9-11 had workers wanding patrons to make sure no weapons entered the club.
And while many stars publicly supported late-night host Jimmy Kimmel following his controversial, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kimmel-claims-his-comments-on-charlie-kirks-assassination-were-maliciously-mischaracterized">week-long suspension</a>, artists haven’t rallied behind Rapaport’s free speech rights.
Why? “Because they agree,” he said bluntly. “Not all of them, <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/global/stars-sign-pledge-complicit-israeli-film-companies-1236511010/">but 3,900 of them</a>,” he said, referencing a recent open letter signed by some of the industry’s biggest stars, including Javier Bardem, Joaquin Phoenix, and Emma Stone, who won’t work with Israeli-based groups on film projects.
“But what about me? I’m an individual &#8230; what happens when my name comes up?” he asked.
Rapaport holds no grudge against Kimmel. Just the opposite. He spoke glowingly of the far-left talker, saying he couldn’t be “nicer” or “sweeter” in real life. Rapaport still bristled at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-really-got-kimmel-suspended-i-hear-that-that-monologue-was-very-hot">the infamous comments Kimmel made</a> following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
“I don’t think there’s anything funny four days after somebody getting killed in cold blood,” Rapaport said of Kimmel’s monologue snippet. “I don’t care if [Kirk is] pro this, pro that &#8230; nothing to me is funny less than a week later about someone getting shot in front of the entire world in 4K for all of us to have to watch it, watch it, watch it.”
He still defended Kimmel’s right to say what he said.
“I’m a trash talker. I fully believe in free speech,” he added.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic, and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

“Jeff Ross: Take A Banana For The Ride” Broadway Opening Night

‘I Can’t Make Fun of Him Anymore’: Michael Rapaport On Trump, Israel, And Redemption

'I Can’t Make Fun of Him Anymore': Michael Rapaport On Trump, Israel, And Redemption

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The Israeli military said Wednesday that one of the four bodies Hamas returned to Israel on Tuesday night was not a hostage.
The Israel Defense Forces said three of the bodies were those of hostages taken by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, but the fourth &#8220;does not match any of the hostages.&#8221; The military did not say whether the fourth body had been identified.
“Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages,” the IDF posted on X. 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#8217;s office called for Hamas to return the remaining bodies. 
“The Hamas terrorist organization is required to uphold its commitments to the mediators and return them as part of the implementation of the agreement. We will not compromise on this and will spare no effort until we return all of the fallen hostages, every last one of them,” his office said. 
The other three bodies were identified as Tamir Nimrodi, Uriel Baruch, and Eitan Levi. 
“SSGT Tamir Nimrodi was kidnapped alive and was killed while in captivity at the age of 18. Uriel Baruch was killed during the Oct. 7 Massacre and his body was kidnapped into Gaza. Eitan Levi was killed during the Oct. 7 Massacre and his body was kidnapped into Gaza. May their memories be a blessing,” the IDF said on X.
Netanyahu said the three bodies returned — and all deceased hostages — would be given proper burials in Israel.
“The Government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Baruch, Nimrodi, and Levi families, and all the families of the fallen hostages,” he said. “The Government and the entire establishment for the missing and the captives of the State of Israel are determined, committed, and working tirelessly to return all of our fallen hostages for proper burial in their country.”
In response to Hamas’s handling of the hostage release, Israel told the United Nations it would reduce the number of daily aid trucks entering Gaza from 600 to 300, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/no-aid-scale-up-yet-gaza-aid-agencies-say-2025-10-14/">reported</a>. It’s unclear when or if the change will take effect.
&#8220;Hamas violated the agreement regarding the release of the bodies of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip. As a result, the political leadership has decided to impose a number of sanctions related to the humanitarian agreement that was reached,&#8221; the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), an Israeli Ministry of Defense unit, wrote.
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On Monday, the final 20 living hostages were released by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of prisoners released by Israel under the terms of a ceasefire. The exchange was the first part of an agreement between Israel and Hamas negotiated by President Donald Trump. 
Part of the plan includes Hamas agreeing to disarm and give up control over Gaza. After Israel pulled back troops in accordance with the agreement, Hamas publicly executed at least seven men in Gaza accused of working with Israeli forces.
“They’re going to disarm because they said they were going to disarm,” Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hamas-will-disarm-or-we-will-disarm-them?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump%3A+Hamas+‘Will+Disarm’+Or+‘We+Will+Disarm+Them’">said</a> Tuesday. “And if they don’t disarm, we will disarm them.”
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/terror-reigns-hamas-publicly-executes-gazans-after-israeli-troop-pullback?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=TERROR+REIGNS%3A+Hamas+Publicly+Executes+Gazans+After+Israeli+Troop+Pullback">TERROR REIGNS: Hamas Publicly Executes Gazans After Israeli Troop Pullback</a>

Israel Poised To Invade Gaza As Worries Of Regional Escalation Grow

IDF: Hamas Undermines Ceasefire Deal After Handing Over Wrong Body

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President Donald Trump left for Israel on Sunday to celebrate the deal he&#8217;d brokered just days earlier between Israel and Hamas, the terrorist group responsible for the brutal massacre on October 7, 2023. In the days since the agreement was reached, the litmus test has been a simple one: who is willing to give Trump credit for the work he&#8217;s done — and who isn&#8217;t?
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
While there were some on both sides of the political aisle who were willing to acknowledge Trump&#8217;s role in securing a deal to bring the hostages home and ultimately end the war entirely, others tried to qualify his success — or even omit him from the conversation.
Vice President JD Vance, of course, was firmly in Trump&#8217;s corner as he made the rounds on the Sunday morning shows. On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; he spoke with anchor George Stephanopoulos about phase one of the deal and the return of the last remaining hostages held in Gaza.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Vice President JD Vance confirmed to <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ThisWeekABC</a> anchor George Stephanopoulos that Hamas has said they are holding 20 living hostages, and that those hostages are expected to be released in the next 24 hours. <a href="https://t.co/UfEwC9T1VW">https://t.co/UfEwC9T1VW</a> <a href="https://t.co/m2YM0mFINZ">pic.twitter.com/m2YM0mFINZ</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1977374051581530562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Vance took a similar tone with &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; host Margaret Brennan on CBS, telling her, &#8220;The president is actually traveling to the Middle East, likely this evening, in order to meet them and greet them in person. It&#8217;s a big day for their families, but I think more importantly, it&#8217;s a big day for the entire world.&#8221;
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Vice President JD Vance says he is “very confident” the Israeli hostages will be released by Monday’s deadline.
“The president is actually traveling to the Middle East, likely this evening, in order to meet them and greet them in person. It&#8217;s a big day for their families, but I… <a href="https://t.co/GHr02lZ1z6">pic.twitter.com/GHr02lZ1z6</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1977386745722245598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty also spoke to Brennan and expressed confidence in Trump&#8217;s deal. &#8220;We are very hopeful that the first phase will be completed in all honesty,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We are in full contact with the Palestinians, with Hamas, because it’s all about, of course, releasing the hostages and for Israel, releasing some of the Palestinian detainees.&#8221;
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Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty says Egypt is “confident the first phase of the Trump peace plan will be implemented,” telling <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a> “we are very hopeful that the first phase will be completed in all honesty” from Israel and Hamas.
“We are in full contact with… <a href="https://t.co/J1ncn5MvTq">pic.twitter.com/J1ncn5MvTq</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1977400339612483731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Chris Murphy, however, couldn&#8217;t bring himself to directly credit Trump with the win — even when asked point blank by Brennan whether the deal marked something upon which he could agree with the president.
&#8220;I congratulate the negotiators on getting this done. There&#8217;s no politics about this moment,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But you watch those devastating images of what Gaza looks like today, and it&#8217;s both heartbreaking and infuriating that this deal has been on the table for over a year. So again, this will be a good week, but as you have reported, there are big issues to come. Israel is not fully pulling out of Gaza. There is no clear path forward on what the security and governance force is going to look like inside that country.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In reaction to the first phase of the peace deal between Israel and Hamas, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) says “I congratulate the negotiators on getting this done. There&#8217;s no politics about this moment.”
“But you watch those devastating images of what Gaza looks like today, and it&#8217;s… <a href="https://t.co/Yz2SjimNgv">pic.twitter.com/Yz2SjimNgv</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1977408024877707484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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CNN anchor Dana Bash also asked her guests whether Trump deserved some credit for securing the deal. Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/he-worked-this-out-senate-dem-admits-trump-deserves-a-lot-of-credit-for-gaza-deal">Mark Kelly</a> (D-AZ) told her that Trump &#8220;should get a lot of credit&#8221; for making it happen.
&#8220;I think he should get a lot of credit. I mean, this was his deal,” Kelly replied. “He worked this out. He sent [Middle East Envoy] Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner over to negotiate this. And so far, it’s gone well. Hopefully, the hostages get released here — might not be within 24 hours — but certainly, I think, by Monday. And that’s progress. And now we’re going to have to see what happens next.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Mark Kelly on ceasefire deal in Gaza: I think Trump &#8220;should get a lot of credit.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/iFopebsXTI">pic.twitter.com/iFopebsXTI</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1977373195628941468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Former President Joe Biden&#8217;s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was also quick to agree that Trump had earned credit by securing the ceasefire. Bash recalled Kelly&#8217;s interview and asked Sullivan whether he agreed that Trump should be lauded for getting the deal across the finish line. &#8220;Of course he does,&#8221; Sullivan said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Former Biden National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on whether Trump deserves credit for ceasefire deal in Gaza: &#8220;Of course he does.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/enthxBCStL">pic.twitter.com/enthxBCStL</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1977380978344538545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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CNN guest Jamal Simmons attempted to split the baby, qualifying Trump&#8217;s success: &#8220;The problem that we see is, on one side is Donald Trump solving or doing a great job in bringing people together around the world around some of these peace issues, while at the same time dividing people at home.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“The problem that we see is, on one side is Donald Trump solving or doing a great job in bringing people together around the world around some of these peace issues, while at the same time dividing people at home.”
Jamal Simmons, Scott Jennings, Nayyera Haq, and Rebeccah… <a href="https://t.co/TfVoGrgFyO">pic.twitter.com/TfVoGrgFyO</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1977392744906502336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Even former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/obama-snubs-trump-over-israel-hamas-peace-deal">Barack Obama</a> took some heat for praising the deal without even acknowledging who had brought it about.

TOPSHOT-US-ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-TRUMP-NETANYAHU-CONFLICT-DIPLOMACY

Spin Cycle: The Gaza Litmus Test — And Who Is Passing It

ABC News

Benjamin Netanyahu

CBS News

Fox News Sunday

Media

NBC News

The last 20 living hostages in Gaza were freed on Monday morning, bringing an end to the 737 days of hell they endured in Hamas’ dark terror tunnels.
As part of the first phase of President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, the hostages were escorted out of Gaza by the Red Cross, transferred to the Israel Defense Forces, and reunited with their families.
Prior to being released, Hamas allowed some of the hostages to video call their families as their masked terrorists stood close by or <a href="https://x.com/avivaklompas/status/1977636413316411610?s=46&amp;t=ghpHusspWPjTMisXwpsMaA">in the frame</a>.
Upon arriving in Israel, freed hostages underwent a medical and psychosocial evaluation before reuniting with their families. Videos of the emotional reunions show the hostages embracing their loved ones.
Prior to the release, many Israelis stayed up all night, eagerly awaiting the return of the hostages.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Israelis aren’t sleeping. Everyone is glued to a screen waiting to see the hostages. This is Hostage Square at 5am. <a href="https://t.co/98758ic2f0">pic.twitter.com/98758ic2f0</a>
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) <a href="https://twitter.com/AvivaKlompas/status/1977556099164443003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The twenty released include 11 men kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival: Elkana Bohbot, 35; Rom Braslavski, 22; Evyatar David, 24; Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 23; Maxim Herkin, 35; Segev Kalfon, 27; Bar Abraham Kupershtein, 22; Eitan Abraham Mor, 23; Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25; Alon Ohel, 24; and Avinatan Or, 32.
From Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Gali Berman, 27, and Ziv Berman, 27, were freed. From Kibbutz Nir Oz, the released include David Cunio, 35; Ariel Cunio, 28; Eitan Horn, 38; and Matan Zangauker, 25.
Also released were Omri Miran, 47, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nahal Oz, Matan Angrest, 22, who was kidnapped from the Nahal Oz outpost, and Nimrod Cohen, 21, who was kidnapped near the Gaza border.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were set to address the Israeli Knesset following the successful return.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas abducted 251 people from Israel, including children, women, and elderly people. A total of 168 returned home alive, and the bodies of 58 others have returned home so far.
Many of the hostages who have returned <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/israeli-hostages-reveal-harrowing-conditions-of-starvation-and-exploitation-upon-return-home">have testified</a> that they were held for long periods in dark tunnels and subjected to torture, severe starvation, and physical and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sadistic-humiliation-mutilation-and-gang-rape-were-part-of-hamas-strategy-israeli-report-shows">sexual abuse</a>.
Under the deal, Hamas is supposed to begin returning the bodies of the remaining deceased hostages, though reports indicate that some may be difficult to locate. A joint Israeli-U.S.-Qatari-Egyptian task force will be established to find any missing remains, with the goal of recovering all of them within 72 hours of the release of the living hostages, <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-869940#google_vignette">The Jerusalem Post reported</a>.
In exchange for the hostages, Israel agreed to release 250 security prisoners — including some convicted of murder — along with 1,722 Gazans detained during the war. Of the 250 prisoners, 15 will be released in Jerusalem, 100 in the West Bank, and 135 will be deported to Gaza or abroad. Israel reportedly warned Palestinians in Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank, not to celebrate the release of Palestinian prisoners as part of the peace deal.
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According to Israeli media reports, Israeli authorities distributed fliers in neighborhoods where prisoners’ families live, stating that &#8220;anyone who participates in such activities exposes himself to punishment and arrest.&#8221;

Israeli Hostages

Final Living Israeli Hostages Freed After 737 Days In Hamas Captivity

Terrorism

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Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu

LIVE UPDATES: Trump Returns To U.S. After Historic Trip To Israel And Egypt

October 7

On Saturday, Israeli citizens packed the streets of what&#8217;s been dubbed &#8220;Hostage Square&#8221; in Tel Aviv, showing their gratitude for President Donald Trump, who brokered a peace deal to end Israel’s two-year war in Gaza and release Israeli hostages.
Those in attendance repeatedly chanted &#8220;Thank you, Trump,&#8221; wore &#8220;MAGA&#8221; apparel, and even held a massive banner that called for the president to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
<div id="attachment_984751" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-984751" class="wp-image-984751 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240008731-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240008731-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240008731-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240008731-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240008731.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Chris McGrath/Getty Images</div>
Speaking to CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, the network&#8217;s international correspondent Clarissa Ward said she heard &#8220;endless applause for President Trump.&#8221; Blitzer noted many people were wearing &#8220;Make America Great Again&#8221; hats.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
&#8220;Endless applause for President Trump.&#8221;
&#8220;I even saw people wearing Make America Great Again hats in that crowd over at Hostage Square.&#8221;
THE PRESIDENT OF PEACE! <a href="https://t.co/tDuXPfdSWm">pic.twitter.com/tDuXPfdSWm</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1977099635069260209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
The crowd was addressed by United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, as well as Jared Kushner, who&#8217;s been acting as an informal adviser on Middle East policy, and Trump&#8217;s daughter Ivanka Trump.
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&#8220;May God bless the souls of the fallen. May God bless the hostages and their families as they return home,&#8221; Witkoff told the crowd. &#8220;May God bless the state of Israel. May God bless the United States of America. And may God bless Donald J. Trump, the greatest president the world has ever seen.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
&#8220;May God bless the souls of the fallen. May God bless the hostages and their families&#8230; May God bless the state of Israel. May God bless the United States,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/SEPeaceMissions?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SEPeaceMissions</a>.
&#8220;And may God bless Donald J. Trump — the greatest President the world has ever seen.&#8221; 💙 <a href="https://t.co/vp5sMCQJs8">pic.twitter.com/vp5sMCQJs8</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1977082795693687142?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Kushner, who&#8217;s said to have <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/5549996-kushner-trump-peace-deal/">played a major role</a> in negotiating the peace agreement, told the crowd he was heartbroken over the October 7 attack and proud of Israel for remaining true to its values in response.
“I put Jared there because he’s a very smart person and he knows the region, knows the people, knows a lot of the players,” Trump <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/5549996-kushner-trump-peace-deal/">said</a> earlier this week, addressing his son-in-law&#8217;s impactful role.
As Kushner spoke, folks in the Hostage Square chanted, &#8220;Thank you, Trump.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Thank you President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> for your commitment to bring this horrible conflict to an end.” <a href="https://t.co/gSGXzLEyc0">pic.twitter.com/gSGXzLEyc0</a>
— Jared Kushner (@jaredkushner) <a href="https://twitter.com/jaredkushner/status/1977117553534304752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Ivanka told the crowd that her father always stands with the people of Israel, again to applause and chants of &#8220;Thank you, Trump.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Cheers of &#8220;THANK YOU, TRUMP!&#8221; ring out in Tel Aviv as <a href="https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IvankaTrump</a> addresses the crowd eagerly awaiting the hostages to finally come home ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/1bRGiGhIOM">pic.twitter.com/1bRGiGhIOM</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1977073322392277357?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Remaining Israeli hostages are expected to be released by Monday.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-shapiro-breaks-down-trumps-extraordinary-israel-hamas-peace-deal-and-what-comes-next">Ben Shapiro Breaks Down Trump’s ‘Extraordinary’ Israel-Hamas Peace Deal And What Comes Next</a>

Israelis gather in Tel Aviv to celebrate the ceasefire agreement reached in Gaza

Chants Of ‘Thank You, Trump’ And Calls For Nobel Peace Prize Erupt At Israel’s Hostage Square

Ivanka Trump

Jared Kushner

Steve Witkoff

President Donald Trump on Wednesday night announced a breakthrough in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-israel-and-gaza-have-a-deal-on-first-phase-of-middle-east-peace-plan">setting into motion</a> the first phase of Trump&#8217;s peace plan to bring the war in Gaza to an end.
After more than a week of pressuring both Israel and Hamas to come to terms with the 20-point plan that the president laid out on September 29, Trump said that both parties have agreed that the remaining hostages taken by Hamas would be returned, while Israeli troops will withdraw from Gaza &#8220;to an agreed upon line.&#8221;
Now that the first phase of the deal has been reached, here&#8217;s what to expect next:
<h3>Israeli Government Will Meet To Officially Approve Agreement</h3>
The Israeli Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Thursday to approve the agreement. The Trump administration appears confident that Israel will approve the deal quickly. A White House official told The Daily Wire, &#8220;Once they vote yes, Israel has to withdraw to the line which should take under 24 hours.&#8221; Israeli officials <a href="https://x.com/AmitSegal/status/1976213105765146995">clarified</a> that the ceasefire will not be in effect until the government approves the first phase of the deal. Once that happens, Hamas will have 72 hours to return the remaining hostages, the White House official added.
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Israeli President Isaac Herzog <a href="https://x.com/Isaac_Herzog/status/1976116944005628175">said</a> on Wednesday night that the agreement has his &#8220;full support.&#8221; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu <a href="https://x.com/netanyahu/status/1976065453807034399">said</a> that he &#8220;will convene the government to approve the agreement and bring all our dear hostages home.&#8221;
<h3>Hamas Releases Hostages On Monday</h3>
The White House official said that the Trump administration expects the hostages to &#8220;begin getting released on Monday.&#8221; It is believed that 20 living hostages remain in Hamas captivity, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/middle-east/live-blog/live-updates-israel-hamas-trump-peace-plan-rcna236552/rcrd90292?canonicalCard=true">reported</a>. The terror group said that it will take them more time to find the 28 bodies of the hostages who died in their custody. The Israel Defense Forces will remain in some parts of Gaza until the hostages are released.
Hospitals in Israel are already preparing to treat the hostages.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Welcome home!&#8221;
Hospitals are preparing for the hostages&#8217; return.
📸: <a href="https://twitter.com/Beilinson_ENG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Beilinson_ENG</a> <a href="https://t.co/spYruFaxW2">pic.twitter.com/spYruFaxW2</a>
— Amit Segal (@AmitSegal) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitSegal/status/1976225633534726619?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h3>Israel Releases Terrorist Prisoners</h3>
In exchange for Hamas releasing the remaining hostages, Israel agreed to set 2,000 prisoners free, including 250 people who were convicted of murder and serving life sentences. On Thursday, a senior Hamas official <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/middle-east/live-blog/live-updates-israel-hamas-trump-peace-plan-rcna236552/rcrd90294?canonicalCard=true">said</a> that the terror group handed over the list of prisoners who will be freed in the deal.
<h3>Trump Travels To Israel</h3>
President Trump is expected to travel to Israel and speak to the Knesset on Sunday after an invitation from Netanyahu, Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/09/trump-israel-visit-gaza-hostage-peace-deal">reported</a>.
&#8220;I will definitely do that if they want me to,&#8221; Trump said.
Trump&#8217;s visit will likely be short, according to Israeli journalist Amit Segal, who <a href="https://x.com/AmitSegal/status/1976220128435110247">wrote</a>, &#8220;The plan is for Trump to arrive on Saturday night between Saturday and Sunday, have a reception at Ben Gurion Airport, visit the Knesset, and take off. No additional ceremonies or meetings.&#8221;
<h3>More Negotiations?</h3>
The first phase of the deal does not include some important points from Trump&#8217;s 20-point peace plan, which means that negotiations could continue for some time. One central point that was left out is Trump&#8217;s demand that Hamas agree to disarm. The president&#8217;s plan calls on the terror group to commit to “peaceful co-existence,&#8221; adding that those who decide to disarm would be given amnesty and may live in Gaza, or they will be given safe passage elsewhere.

Israelis React To News Of Gaza Peace Deal

Israel, Hamas Agree To First Phase Of Trump’s Peace Deal. What Happens Now?

President Trump’s new proposal offers a stark vision: that peace in the Middle East depends on confronting terrorism directly.
The 20-point plan was revealed on September 29 — during a news conference at the White House alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — where Trump unveiled his proposal to reporters. Key parts of the plan include the Hamas terrorist group releasing all living and deceased hostages within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting the agreement.
All Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence and decommission their weapons will be given amnesty, while the Gaza Strip itself will be redeveloped and governed under a temporary transitional “Board of Peace” chaired by Trump and other heads of state, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Beyond the immediate terms, Trump framed his plan as a turning point in the region’s political future. “Today is a historic day for peace,” Trump said of his proposal. “Let’s call it eternal peace in the Middle East.” Trump’s plan received the backing of Netanyahu, along with eight majority-Muslim countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Turkey.
The plan itself maintains Israel’s key security interests and states that no Palestinian Authority takeover of the Gaza Strip or future Palestinian statehood would be established without significant reforms.
For Washington, the plan is more than an Israeli security issue. It reinforces America’s alliances with Arab partners, strengthens deterrence against Iran, and demonstrates U.S. leadership at a time of global instability.
If Hamas fails to uphold its part of the agreement, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115310630808491399">warned</a> last Friday on Truth Social that “all hell” would break out against the terrorist group and that there will be peace in the Middle East “one way or the other.”
Without decisive pressure, Hamas will continue to destabilize the region, drawing the U.S. back into endless crisis management. Trump understands that peace can only come through the recognition that Hamas is a genocidal terrorist organization that cannot be reasoned with. According to American political analyst Bruce R. Hoffman, both the <a href="https://irp.fas.org/world/para/docs/880818a.htm?utm_source">1988 Hamas Covenant</a> and its successor document, the 2017 Hamas Charter, reveal the movement’s objectives and intentions to <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2023/10/hamas-covenant-israel-attack-war-genocide/675602/">eradicate</a> every Jewish person from the region.
This is why the plan has oriented every state in the region, including Qatar and Turkey — nations that have traditionally allied with Hamas — against the terrorist group.
Prior to this agreement, Hamas believed that it had <a href="https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-844329">backed</a> Israel into a corner, even when Trump gave similarly worded threats to the terrorist group in February to release the hostages. Hamas’ own leaders admit that the group prioritizes its fighters and its genocidal ideology over the lives of Palestinians. Mousa Abu Marzouk, Hamas’s No. 2 leader, <a href="https://www.memri.org/tv/hamas-official-mousa-abu-marzouk-tunnels-gaza-protect-fighters-%20not-civilians">told</a> Russia Today TV that “protecting Gaza civilians is the responsibility of the United Nations and Israel” and that the vast underground tunnel network built by Hamas in the Gaza Strip is meant to protect Hamas fighters and not civilians.
Hamas’ tunnels don’t just threaten Israel — they challenge America’s broader strategy against Iranian proxies across the region.
Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas’ top leadership body, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/08/world/middleeast/hamas-israel-gaza-war.html">said</a> in a New York Times interview that Hamas did not seek to improve the situation of Palestinians in the area by providing them with basic necessities such as water and electricity.
Hamas only cares about pursuing its genocidal ideology. It cannot be appealed to rationally through unilateral declarations of Palestinian statehood. By contrast, Israel does care about the lives of its hostages as well as the lives of innocent Israeli and Palestinian people, which puts it at a disadvantage in its goal to effectively fight against Hamas.
European recognition of Palestinian statehood ignores Hamas’ stated objectives and weakens deterrence against terrorism. While Israel is a Western democratic country, it lives amid a sea of irrational actors. Appealing to Western values, such as modernization, economic development, and liberalism, is not as highly valued in that region.
But Trump’s willingness to put overwhelming pressure on Hamas represents a break with years of failed strategy.
Trump has leveraged American power for the Arab states to pressure Hamas, sending a clear message that time is not on their side. It also deprives them of the opportunity to rebuild their terrorist infrastructure, as was the case in previous ceasefires and hostage deals. The plan also lays the groundwork to strengthen future relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors, continuing where the Abraham Accords left off with normalization agreements signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.
This is why Trump’s break with conventional diplomacy matters now, on the anniversary of October 7 — the bloodiest massacre against Jewish people since the Holocaust — and anti-Israel demonstrations are rising throughout the world, Western leaders must understand that they must follow Trump’s example if Israel’s war against Hamas is to end. The same principle applies beyond the Middle East. Whether it is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or China’s growing belligerence against Taiwan, any path to peace must be culturally adapted according to its regional context. Global credibility is a butterfly effect, where America’s lost credibility in the Middle East weakens it in other regions of the world, such as Europe and Asia. As Russia tests NATO and China challenges U.S. resolve, American credibility in the Middle East matters more than ever.
For U.S. policymakers, the lesson is clear: only decisive, uncompromising pressure on Hamas can create the conditions for peace — and America must lead this effort.
 * * * 
Bradley Martin is the Executive Director of the Near East Center for Strategic Studies. Follow him on Facebook and X (Twitter) @ByBradleyMartin.
Dr. Liram Koblentz-Stenzler is a senior researcher at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) at Reichman University, Herzliya, and a visiting scholar at Brandeis University. Follow her on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/drliramkoblentz/">LinkedIn</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Trump’s Gaza Proposal Leads The Way To A New Middle East Order

Trump's Gaza Proposal Leads The Way To A New Middle East Order

Trump peace plan

President Trump totally broke open the war in Gaza and perhaps put together a workable peace plan.
President Trump has received an inordinate amount of hatred for actually being good at foreign policy. Perhaps the best thing about President Trump&#8217;s first term was his foreign policy. He has always been heterodox in his foreign policy views, and that heterodoxy has actually served him quite well, particularly in the Middle East.
He didn&#8217;t get the credit he deserved over the Abraham Accords. He has not received the credit that he deserves for his continuing support of Israel in the face of genocidal hatred and terrorism from Hamas.
And now he has somehow drawn a fascinating path to peace in the Gaza Strip.
On Monday, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met for a long time before actually going out and doing a full press conference where they unveiled President Trump&#8217;s peace plan, which has been signed on to by Israel, the United States, Qatar, all of the regional players, and by the Europeans, which is an amazing achievement for the president.
Let’s be clear: Hamas has not accepted this deal yet, but the deal totally changes the game.
Why?
Because if everybody is on the same page but Hamas, that means that Hamas is totally isolated. And Hamas has relied on the kindness of strangers. Hamas has relied for this entire war on having the public relations of Qatar on its side, of having other countries in the Middle East on its side, and of having the Europeans on its side.
Just a week ago, we were talking about how the Europeans were moving steadily and not so gradually toward declaring a Palestinian state in the aftermath of the worst terror attack on Israel in its history and the worst attack on Jews since World War II. That is how badly things were going for Israel in the PR war.
That was because there is a strong drive among the “suicidally empathetic” — as the philosopher Gad Saad has said — in Europe to side with the people who wish to destroy Western civilization.
But now President Trump has now done something incredible. He has put together a deal that is workable, a deal that has now been signed off by the Israelis and from everybody else in the region. Even the Europeans have signed off on it.
Whenever you hear that a deal has been signed off on by everyone, the inclination is to say that it is a weak deal. That&#8217;s just the reality. And indeed, when you read the deal, you could find points where certainly quibbles would be necessary.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2289-breaking-trump-unleashes-groundbreaking-gaza-plan"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
But overall, what President Trump has done here is to achieve the strategic goals of the West. He has allowed Israel to achieve its strategic goals in Gaza if Hamas were to accept this deal while allowing for a path forward.
Some points regarding the deal:
<blockquote>“Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.”</blockquote>
That’s more of a goal than it is an actual plan. Whether that goal is achieved depends on whether the rest of the plan is actually achieved.
<blockquote>“Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.”</blockquote>
That is to prevent Hamas from basically dragging out this process. If we get to 73 hours and Hamas has not handed over hostages, Israel will have every right and capacity to go back in.
<blockquote>“Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after 7 October 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.” </blockquote>
This sort of math makes me insane. It has always made me insane. It is ridiculous for any Western country to trade live terrorists for hostages.
<blockquote>“Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the 19 January 2025 agreement.”</blockquote>
This should be a sticking point. Israel is giving a lot on this. The United Nations has been and will continue to be a tool for terrorism. It always has been. It will continue to be.
<blockquote>“Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the ‘Board of Peace,’ which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of state to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair.”</blockquote>
This is Israel&#8217;s guarantee against the possibility that Hamas immediately reconstitutes and that the aid that flows in is somehow handed over directly to a reconstituted Hamas by another name. In reality, it&#8217;ll have to be run by Tony Blair with input from the United States, because the reality is that there are not a whole hell of a lot of “Palestinian moderates.”
And this brings us to the question of the Palestinian Authority.
According to the Trump plan:
<blockquote>“This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump&#8217;s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.”</blockquote>
Let&#8217;s be real about that. It&#8217;s never going to happen. The Palestinian Authority is corrupt top to bottom. Every Arab and Jew in the region knows this. This is not a secret. The reality is the Palestinian Authority is wildly unpopular in Judea and Samaria, thanks to its incredible levels of corruption, thanks to the fact its leadership bilks the population and aid agencies out of literally billions of dollars.
The PA is never going to end up governing Gaza. They can&#8217;t even govern cities in Judea and Samaria, in Nablus and Jenin. They&#8217;re not going to govern any of these areas. So this is a pipe dream. Presumably, that pipe dream is put out there for the pleasure of various Arab nations who are signing on to President Trump&#8217;s agreement here.
<div id="attachment_979193" style="width: 870px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-979193" class="size-large wp-image-979193" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2238139190-860x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 29: U.S. President Donald Trump (R) looks on as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers remarks during a joint news conference in the State Dining Room at the White House on September 29, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump welcomed Netanyahu for his fourth visit to the White House, where the two leaders met to discuss the latest U.S. backed plans to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)" width="860" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2238139190-860x576.jpg 860w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2238139190-300x201.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2238139190-768x515.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2238139190.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px" />Win McNamee/Getty Images</div>
Trump’s plan is going to be dependent on decent governance. Unfortunately, it is just a fact that the vast majority of Palestinians support terrorism. There is zero, literally zero evidence that Palestinians overall do not support terrorism. Every single Palestinian poll statistic ever taken shows a vast bulk of Palestinian Arabs supporting terrorism against Jews and the destruction of the State of Israel.
<blockquote>“Hamas and other factions agree not to have any role in the governance of Gaza directly, indirectly or in any form. All military terror and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors.”</blockquote>
Why would Hamas accept the deal if they&#8217;re going to have no governance power in the Gaza Strip? Why would they give up the hostages?
Because if they have no hope, if it turns out that even their terror masters in Qatar aren’t behind them &#8230; But let&#8217;s be clear: Qatar plays both sides of the table. They always have. Qatar could have put pressure on Hamas to give up the hostages. On October 8, they could have.
Qatar did not do that. Instead, Qatar sponsored Hamas. Qatar apparently has joined in on the process of isolating Hamas. That is the only reason why this has happened and it is worthwhile noting the reason that Qatar did that, at least in part, is because they are quite concerned that if this war continues, Israel might say, you know what? It’s not worth it anymore. They go into Qatar and they kill Hamas members in Qatar.
And Qatar does not wish to be in the crossfire at this point. So that unsuccessful strike that Israel launched directly into Qatar to kill Hamas&#8217;s leadership may have been tactically unsuccessful, but it was strategically successful in putting pressure on Qatar to join the international consortium dedicated to ending Hamas rule over the Gaza Strip.
That would be the only reason why Hamas would give up the ghost here.
<blockquote>“The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza.”</blockquote>
What&#8217;s important there is that this international stabilization force will not be a nontransparent force. It will have coordination, including Israel. Israel is simply not going to give up all eyes on the ground and trust the Egyptians and Jordanians, all of whom have been acting, by the way, in tacit consultation with Hamas throughout this conflict.
<blockquote>“While Gaza redeployment development advances, and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.”</blockquote>
Notice what that isn&#8217;t. That is not a recognition of a Palestinian state. That is not even a recognition of a real pathway toward a Palestinian state. It is a recognition that if gigantic changes happen on the ground and the Palestinian Authority somehow moderates and somehow does all of the reform, and that if all of these hurdles are jumped, then maybe at some point there&#8217;s a pathway to a Palestinian state.
What this doesn&#8217;t do is say there must be a Palestinian state in order for there to be a settlement in Gaza.
The Trump administration is making no bones about that. And now neither is the international community.
All in all, it’s a very good start.

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Your average film festival won’t screen “A Minecraft Movie,” “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” or “Nobody 2.” And that’s a good thing.
Festivals give indie filmmakers a chance to shine in a crowded marketplace. They also shake up the theatrical experience by pushing audiences out of their comfort zone.
In short, prepare to be challenged. The best art does just that.
<div id="attachment_961513" style="width: 830px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961513" class="wp-image-961513 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-820x576.jpg" alt="TORONTO, ONTARIO - SEPTEMBER 15: Mike Downie accepts the &quot;People's Choice Documentary Award&quot; for &quot;The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal&quot; onstage at the TIFF 2024 Awards Ceremony during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival at Luma on September 15, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Jeremy Chan/Getty Images)" width="820" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-820x576.jpg 820w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-300x211.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-768x539.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" />TORONTO, ONTARIO &#8211; SEPTEMBER 15: Mike Downie accepts the &#8220;People&#8217;s Choice Documentary Award&#8221; for &#8220;The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal&#8221; onstage at the TIFF 2024 Awards Ceremony during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. (Photo by Jeremy Chan/Getty Images)</div>
Yet some modern film festivals are running from that unspoken promise. And, as is often the case, it involves cowardly programmers who refuse to provoke their presumably left-leaning audiences. In other situations, the festivals won’t stand behind art that could draw the wrong kind of crowd.
Protesters, to be specific, the kind that shout, “From the river to the sea…”
The latest, most embarrassing example? The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), one of the industry’s most prestigious events, recently <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/08/tiff-pulls-october-7-documentary-from-lineup-1236484968/comment-page-2/#comments">yanked an October 7 documentary</a> from its line up.
“The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” recalls how retired Israel Defense Forces General Noam Tibon saved Israelis targeted for death by Hamas terrorists during that cataclysmic day.
<div id="attachment_961501" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961501" class="wp-image-961501 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-864x576.jpg" alt="TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - DECEMBER 02: Major General (Res.) Noam Tibon speaks during a rally calling for the remaining hostages to be released a day after the temporary truce ended outside The Museum of Modern Art known as the 'The Hostages and Missing Square' on December 2, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. The rally’s speakers included recently released hostages and their families, as well as Israeli performers. The end of the weeklong ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has also meant a halt to negotiations over the return of more Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. One hundred and ten hostages - a combination of Israelis and foreign nationals - were released during the recent pause in fighting, under half the number estimated to have been taken captive by Palestinian militants on Oct. 7. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />TEL AVIV, ISRAEL &#8211; DECEMBER 02: Major General (Res.) Noam Tibon. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images</div>
But why cancel the documentary at all? TIFF officials initially said the film didn’t get the legal clearances for footage of Hamas soldiers attacking innocent Jews. That explanation drew instant ridicule, forcing TIFF to suggest it’s working to find a way <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/08/tiff-response-the-road-between-us-1236485877/">to solve the issues</a> and re-install the film into its lineup.
Now, an embarrassed TIFF says it will “<a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/14/world-news/tiff-reverses-course-will-ensure-oct-7-doc-is-screened-following-swift-backlash/">ensure</a>” the film will screen at the September festival after a major media backlash.
The damage is done, no matter what kind of backpedal the festival attempts. Its absurd rationale is likely cover for the real issue – pro-Palestinian protesters would have swarmed the screening, as they’ve done countless times before.
<div id="attachment_961507" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961507" class="size-large wp-image-961507" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-864x576.jpg" alt="TOPSHOT - Palestinians transport a reportedly captured Israeli person, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, on October 7, 2023. One month after Israel was wracked by Hamas attacks, life has been upended for both the Palestinians and Israel after it launched a war of reprisal in the Gaza Strip. The October 7 attacks by Hamas militants who stormed across from Gaza and struck kibbutzim and southern Israeli areas killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and deeply scarred the nation. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says nearly 9,500 have been killed, two-thirds of them women and children, and mostly civilians. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images</div>
Jewish artists (Michael Rapaport, Matisyahu) routinely find their shows canceled due to fear of pro-Palestinian protests. Festival-based violence could have ensued, although a strong show of force would likely prevent such an occurrence.
The Heckler’s Veto won. Again. It’s one reason why protesters keep on raising their voices. They get results.
Today’s festival programmer too often chooses to censor art rather than let it shine.
A more egregious example of festival cowardice? The Sundance Film Festival threw open its arms to “Jihad Rehab,” a celebrated film focusing on Muslim terrorists and their path to redemption.
The film actually screened the documentary in January 2022, coaxing two festival employees to resign in protest. That was just the beginning of the outrage. Some Muslim filmmakers howled over the film’s inclusion, arguing the film exposed the participants to potential danger. Others suggested the film’s director, a white woman named Meg Smaker, was the wrong person to tell the story.
<div id="attachment_961509" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961509" class="size-large wp-image-961509" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-864x576.jpg" alt="PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 27: (EDITORS NOTE: This image was shot with a fisheye lens.) People stand in front of the Egyptian Theatre along Main Street during the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2025 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />David Becker/Getty Images</div>
Sundance later issued an apology for screening the film, and other festivals dropped “Jihad Rehab” from their lineups.
Smaker eventually won the PR war, with far-Left sites like The New York Times and The Atlantic rushing to her side. The film, retitled “The UnRedacted,” <a href="https://www.justwatch.com/us/search?q=the%20unredacted">still can’t be seen via VOD platforms, though.</a>
Still, the most recognizable film festival in the country couldn’t stand up for its own screened film. That sends a chilling signal throughout the creative community.
Pro-Palestinian pressure also got a trans-related documentary <a href="https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/columnist/editors-note/377538/french-transgender-film-gets-cancelled-because-it-made-israel-look-good/">canceled from a Belgium film festival last year</a>. “The Belle from Gaza” focused on a transgender Palestinian woman fleeing Gaza for her own safety and ending up in Tel Aviv.
Variety captured the current state of film festivals in 2023.
<blockquote>In fact, that quick-to-capitulate reflex underscores a new, unspoken modus operandi in which festivals — once the bastion of provocative, button-pushing fare — are desperate to avoid controversy and the wrath of any identity-focused Twitter mob. </blockquote>
It hasn’t gotten better since then. And there’s a second factor in play.
Modern film festivals display a sense of ideological uniformity that diminishes their cultural impact. Left-leaning features are commonplace, be it stories about abortion rights or pro-LGBTQ+ narratives.
Films that defy that ideology rarely, if ever, make the cut.
Imagine a film festival featuring “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman?row=0&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;rowType=Square+Show+Carousel">What Is a Woman?</a>” The Daily Wire’s blistering take down of progressive gender beliefs.
<div id="attachment_805851" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman?row=0&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;rowType=Square+Show+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-805851" class="size-large wp-image-805851" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MixCollage-01-Oct-2024-04-20-PM-2436-1024x576.jpg" alt="What is a Woman?" width="1024" height="576" /></a>Matt Walsh/What is a Woman?</div>
What about “The Fall of Minneapolis,” a harrowing account of the media’s false narratives surrounding George Floyd’s 2020 death?
Or consider “What Killed Michael Brown?” That 2020 movie exposed similarly skewed narratives surrounding the Missouri resident’s 2014 death following a police interaction.
Had any of those films made the film festival cut it might have sparked protests, resignations or both. Cancellations might have followed.
Festival programmers, by insisting on ideological purity, keep these kinds of projects out of their lineups. And few audience members are challenged along the way.
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Even stories told by those holding unorthodox views may not get a festival closeup. Podcaster Adam Carolla has complained that his opinions have kept his apolitical racing documentaries from debuting in film festivals. The most extreme example? His 2020 documentary “Uppity,” a testament to Willy T. Ribbs, the first black race car driver to compete in the Indy 500, didn’t make the festival circuit.
The film checked enough progressive boxes to be included, and the few critics who reviewed the film raved about its content. That didn’t help Carolla crack the festival market.
Hollywood’s progressive groupthink remains a problem, keeping great stories and actors off screen. A similar sentiment holds with film festivals. A fear of social media controversy, and backbone deficit, is making matters worse.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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The father of an Israeli hostage who Hamas and Palestinian civilians took on October 7, 2023, believes that, despite his son being held captive, destroying Hamas must take precedence over saving the hostages, declaring that the goal for Israel “cannot be to bring [Hamas] to talks; it must be to destroy them.”
While the families of other hostages insist that saving the hostages must be prioritized over destroying Hamas, Tzvika Mor, the chairman of the Tikvah Forum and the father of hostage Eitan Mor — who was seized by Palestinians as he was working as a security guard at the Nova Festival — wants the IDF to pursue more aggressive actions, rather than mitigate the military response because of the hostages.
“The question isn’t what they’re going to do, but what is the goal?” he told <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2025/08/tzvika-mor-gaza-war-hamas-hostages-israel-netanyahu/">Jewish Insider</a>. “If the goal is to lead Hamas to negotiate, it will fail, just like in Gideon’s Chariots, which took five months and didn’t bring back the hostages and didn’t destroy Hamas. The goal cannot be to bring [Hamas] to talks; it must be to destroy them.’
“Is our war in Gaza necessary?” he asked. “If there weren’t hostages, would we still need to go to war? The answer is yes, because [Hamas] cannot remain our neighbors after we saw what they can do, or they would do it again. They are religious people; they live for this. They don’t live for a nice house and a car and social status. Not for coffee shops and pilates. They live to kill Jews. They’re like zombies. You have to destroy them. The war would be necessary even if there were no hostages. &#8230; It cannot be that we will endanger 10 million Israelis because of the hostages. We need to solve that problem such that we are not harming national security.”
He asserted that making the hostages the number one priority “not only harms national security, but it also hurts the hostages, because Hamas learns that they’re the most important to us and raises the price all the time. It’s indescribable stupidity.”
If Israel “concedes in Gaza, Hamas will never give up all of the hostages … And what would the message be to the Arabs in Judea and Samaria, that kidnapping Israelis is the best thing to do?” he asked rhetorically.
Mor ripped the Israeli media that has criticized him for his stance, saying, “The Israeli media doesn’t help. They lead the campaign” to vilify him. “But I feel that I am a messenger of the people of Israel. It is clear to me that the people of Israel want to win … They are connected to their roots, to the Land of Israel and to Judaism. They don’t want to be sold dreams and delusions that ‘it will all be OK, we can give in to terror and then deal with it later.’ We can’t ‘deal’ with it. If we surrender, we will pay a higher price.”
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Mor analogized the current situation to the Biblical Abraham, who used an army to rescue his nephew Lot, who had been kidnapped by four kings. Abraham “didn’t talk to them. He didn’t pay them. He fought a war until they surrendered. That is the way,” he said, adding, “The war cannot be about the hostages, and I say that as the father of a hostage. How many soldiers should be killed for the hostages? You don’t go to war to bring back hostages. You go to war for sovereignty, for deterrence. Then, when you win, you get your captives back.”
Israel used to know that “it was clear that there was no negotiating with terrorists,” he recalled. “We would try to save our hostages and take risks, but we could not give in to terrorism.” He pointed out that the Yachin Research Center had estimated that four times more Israelis were killed in terrorist attacks between the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993 and 2023 than in 1949-1992. “That means that since Israel gave in to terrorism, more Israelis were murdered. It’s clear … That needs to stop,” he commented.
“He is very strong, physically and mentally. He was very Zionist. He was a fighter and commander in the Golani Brigade &#8230; He’s not soft; he doesn’t whine. He is strong; he’s a leader. We are sure that if he is with other hostages, he is helping them and strengthening them,” Mor said of his son.
“Nova survivors said that Eitan left his hiding place and saved their lives, which his father said ‘tells you the most about him,’” Jewish Insider reported, as Mor added, “He could have gone home at 6:29, but he stayed to save people. He hid people and ran with them until he was kidnapped at 12:30, not by Hamas but by Gazan civilians.”

ISRAEL GAZA WAR

Father Of Israeli Hostage Delivers Ringing Message: Destroying Hamas Must Be The Main Objective

Father Of Israeli Hostage Delivers Ringing Message: Don't Prioritize Hostages Over Destroying Hamas

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