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The war that dragged on for over two years has now reached what may be its closing chapter, and not in the way either side originally envisioned. If the ceasefire agreement holds, the key to its success lies in both Israel and Hamas accepting concessions they had firmly rejected in earlier negotiations, coupled with carefully arranged sequencing of sensitive military and political issues.

In summer 2024 and again in early 2025, similar talks seemed close to success but collapsed over irreconcilable demands. This time, the involvement of Qatar, Turkey, and US President Donald Trump dramatically shifted the calculus, pressing both parties into compromises they had resisted until now.

One of Israel’s most surprising moves came quietly: the guns fell silent on Shabbos. Without having received a single hostage back or a concrete timetable, Israel simply stopped its strikes. For five days, Hamas enjoyed quiet skies while Jerusalem waited on promises of a deal. If hostages are returned on Monday, that will mean nine days in which Israel held its fire before gaining anything tangible—something Prime Minister Netanyahu had repeatedly vowed he would never do. Yet, under Trump’s directive, that red line was crossed.

Hamas’s most significant sacrifice came in the realm it least wanted to yield: the hostages. For months, Hamas had insisted on retaining some captives as bargaining chips to protect its leaders or force a total Israeli withdrawal. But this round, under the combined pressure of Doha, Ankara, Cairo, and the looming threat of unending Israeli assaults backed by Trump, Hamas agreed to return every living hostage—and even the bodies—at once. In doing so, the group relinquished its most powerful leverage, the card that set it apart from other Iranian-backed groups.

The fate of Hamas’s leadership, once one of the most hotly debated issues, looks less dramatic now. Israel initially spoke of expulsion. In the end, most of the men behind October 7 were killed: Deif in July 2024, Yahya Sinwar that October, and Mohammed Sinwar in May. Alongside them fell brigade chiefs, battalion commanders, and senior operatives like Marwan Issa and Ismail Haniyeh. What’s left are only a handful—such as Izz al-Din Haddad and Raed Saad—still breathing in Gaza. They may stay, at least for now, making this chapter less a concession and more a reality shaped by the battlefield.

Israel’s largest strategic retreat lies in its acceptance that Hamas will not be fully disarmed. Netanyahu once pledged “annihilation,” later moderating to “disarmament.” Neither has been realized. Today, Hamas has no functioning army—its 24 battalions were dismantled long ago—but it does maintain scattered cells, a few thousand hardened fighters, and a large sympathetic base. These remnants have pulled off small raids and token rocket fire. They cannot mount another mass invasion, but the danger of regrouping is real. For Israel, ending the war before eliminating every last weapon is a gamble.

On Hamas’s side, the long-term concession is allowing Israel to keep a presence in Gaza even after the ceasefire. In earlier talks, the group insisted on a total withdrawal before releasing hostages. Now, with the hostages given up first, Israel retains leverage and will likely remain inside some form of security buffer. The size of that buffer is still undefined—anything from one kilometer to over three in depth. Even the Philadelphi Corridor remains unresolved. Yet the principle is clear: Hamas has conceded that Israel won’t be gone entirely.

Questions loom over what happens once international mechanisms take over. Will the IDF be free to conduct pinpoint raids or drone strikes, as it does in Lebanon or the West Bank, or will it be bound by international oversight under a new security force? What happens if Hamas rebuilds cells faster than the new Gaza International Transitional Authority—or the ISF—can contain them? Will Israel be allowed to step in, unlike in 2007 when Hamas routed Fatah and the US urged Israel to stand aside?

And then there is the political puzzle. The deal on paper names GITA, but in practice, the struggle over governance will be fierce. Can 700,000 Gazans with tribal or ideological ties to Hamas be persuaded to back away from it? Will reconstruction fatigue push them back into Hamas’s arms? Can outside powers, including moderate Arab states, the US, and Israel, deliver a different reality in a land devastated by war?

Diplomatic rewards remain uncertain. Normalization with Saudi Arabia was once floated as part of a grand bargain. That opportunity might have passed—or it could resurface if the region sees this as a genuine turning point.

Historians will debate whether this ending could have come sooner. Perhaps in mid-2024 or early 2025, similar terms were already within reach. Critics will argue Netanyahu prolonged the fighting to protect his coalition; his defenders will counter that earlier deals might have left hostages in Hamas’s hands or cost Israel its security buffer. With the Hamas leaders of those earlier periods now dead, the answer may never be fully known.

What is clear is that the endgame looks nothing like the scenarios once imagined. Hamas gave up its hostages without total Israeli withdrawal. Israel laid down arms temporarily before the deal was signed. Most Hamas leaders were killed rather than expelled. And both sides now face an uncertain tomorrow, shaped as much by what they surrendered as by what they managed to hold onto.

{Matzav.com}

Following the return of the hostages to Israel, the National Insurance Institute announced that it will roll out an emergency support plan right away. A spokesperson for the institute said that the aid will be provided once the released captives complete their initial medical evaluations.

Under the first tier of assistance, each returning hostage will be issued a prepaid card valued at 10,000 NIS, along with an additional cash payment of about 50,000 NIS. Together, this amounts to 60,000 NIS in immediate financial relief.

Beyond the initial monetary help, the institute confirmed that the hostages will also receive automatic medical compensation for an entire year. The payments will be calculated according to the wages they earned before October 7, with the aim of ensuring that their most urgent recovery and rehabilitation needs are covered.

In addition, their status as victims of terror and released captives will be officially recognized without the need for lengthy procedures. Each individual will automatically receive a 50% medical disability rating, eliminating the requirement to appear before a medical committee. This designation also opens the door to a wide range of additional forms of assistance.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Knesset Speaker Amir Ochana issued a formal invitation on Thursday to US President Donald Trump, asking him to deliver a speech in Israel’s parliament. The letter came in the wake of the breakthrough agreement to free the hostages, achieved through Trump’s initiative to bring the Gaza war to an end.

“Today is a historic day. Your leadership, courage, persistence, and vision have led not only to a deal securing the release of all Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7, but also to an unprecedented regional agreement accepted by nearly every nation in the Middle East,” Ochana wrote in his message to Trump.

He emphasized that the achievement was a joint effort between Israel’s military, its leadership, and Trump’s involvement. “This victory would not have been possible without the sacrifice of our brave soldiers, the resolve of Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the close partnership you have forged with him – and with the one and only Jewish State – throughout your life,” the Speaker noted.

Recalling Trump’s record of support for Israel, Ochana detailed a list of major policy moves. “From recognizing Jerusalem as our eternal capital and moving the American Embassy there, to affirming our sovereignty over the Golan Heights, from creating the historic Abraham Accords to eliminating Iran’s nuclear sites, and now to this momentous day: you have demonstrated that under your leadership, America is not only a military superpower but a moral superpower as well – and that peace comes through strength.”

He continued with words of personal praise for Trump’s role in Israel’s history. “The people of Israel regard you as the greatest friend and ally of the Jewish nation in modern history. It is therefore my profound honor and privilege to officially invite you to deliver a formal address to the nation before the Knesset,” Ochana wrote.

The Speaker closed by stressing the significance of such a visit. “Your speech would be the first by a sitting U.S. President since President George W. Bush’s visit in 2008 – a deeply meaningful gesture of our eternal gratitude for your once-in-a-century leadership and for the unbreakable alliance between the State of Israel and the United States of America. Israel awaits The Peace President,” he concluded.

{Matzav.com Israel}

New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Virginia on allegations of bank fraud and providing false information to a financial institution, prosecutors said. The Department of Justice claims she improperly secured a more favorable loan for a second home, saving nearly $19,000.

The indictment was filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, the same court that last month indicted former FBI Director James Comey on counts of obstruction and lying to Congress.

US Attorney Lindsey Halligan stressed the seriousness of the case. “No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust,” she said. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”

James fired back, saying she was the target of a political vendetta. “This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system. He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as the New York State Attorney General.”

“These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,” she continued. “The president’s actions are a grave violation of our Constitutional order and have drawn sharp criticism from members of both parties.”

If she is found guilty on both counts, James could face a maximum sentence of 60 years behind bars and fines of up to $2 million.

According to prosecutors, James purchased a three-bedroom home in Norfolk, Virginia, in August 2020 for about $137,000. Most of the purchase was financed with a $109,600 loan that prohibited it from being used as a rental, enabling her to secure cheaper terms. The Justice Department says this arrangement allowed her to save “approximately $18,933 over the life of the loan.”

When reporters visited the property in April, neighbors said they had never seen James at the house. Tax filings, however, identified it as a rental, with James collecting thousands in extra income.

Public records show that James later gave her niece, Shamice Thompson-Hairston, power of attorney over the property in August 2023, securing a new mortgage of $219,780. Prosecutors allege the scheme lasted from August 2020 until January 2024, with James misrepresenting the property’s status in order to influence OVM Financial, a Fannie Mae-backed lender.

The indictment charges that James “represented and affirmed in uniform residential loan applications and related documents that the Peronne Property would be used as a secondary residence, when in truth and fact, as [James] then knew, the property was intended and used as an investment property with no intended or actual personal occupancy or use by her.”

Federal housing regulator Bill Pulte referred the case to the Justice Department earlier this year, suggesting that James could have committed wire fraud, mail fraud, and other related crimes. James dismissed those accusations at the time as “baseless.”

Governor Kathy Hochul came to her defense, saying in a statement, “What we’re seeing today is nothing less than the weaponization of the Justice Department to punish those who hold the powerful accountable.”

The indictment comes against the backdrop of James’s legal battles with Donald Trump. Last year, she won a civil case accusing the Trump Organization of inflating property values, which resulted in a $355 million penalty. That ruling was later overturned on appeal, but James has pushed for its reinstatement, now swollen to over $500 million with interest.

In her statement Thursday, James said her office remains steadfast. “I stand strongly behind my office’s litigation against the Trump Organization,” she said. “Judges have upheld the trial court’s finding that Donald Trump, his company, and his two sons are liable for fraud.”

She also vowed to fight the charges with resolve. “I am a proud woman of faith, and I know that faith and fear cannot share the same space. And so today I am not fearful, I am fearless, and as my faith teaches me, no weapon formed against me shall prosper. We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights. And I will continue to do my job.”

The FBI’s investigation began in May after Pulte’s referral, which also accused James of misclassifying her Brooklyn brownstone in a way that secured her better loan terms.

Pulte has made similar claims against Sen. Adam Schiff, accusing him of improperly designating his Maryland home as a primary residence to qualify for more favorable financing.

The Virginia indictment follows a shakeup at the Justice Department. Erik Siebert, who had previously served as US attorney, resigned after declining to bring charges against both Comey and James, despite pressure from Trump.

James condemned that move, saying, “[Trump’s] decision to fire a United States Attorney who refused to bring charges against me — and replace them with someone who is blindly loyal not to the law, but to the president — is antithetical to the bedrock principles of our country. This is the time for leaders on both sides of the aisle to speak out against this blatant perversion of our system of justice.”

{Matzav.com}

A document signed by Hamas representatives and international mediators, and later published by Israeli outlets on Thursday evening, spells out the framework to conclude the Gaza War and bring home the remaining hostages still in captivity more than two years later.

The text, which bore the signature of Steve Witkoff, specified that once US President Donald Trump publicly presents the deal, Israel would immediately cease “all military operations in Gaza, including aerial and artillery bombardment.”

One of the clauses requires Israel to stop aerial monitoring in zones vacated by the IDF.

The agreement further provides that humanitarian assistance will continue entering Gaza, mirroring the process that was implemented under the arrangement made back in January.

Another section lists the areas from which Israeli forces are expected to pull back, with the commitment that troops will not reenter those regions.

The final provision explains that once the army has fully withdrawn, Hamas must release every hostage—both those still alive and the remains of the deceased—within 72 hours, after coordinating details of each individual with various Palestinian groups. That information will be given to the Red Cross and the mediators, while Israel will provide data concerning Palestinians who died while in Israeli custody.

According to a Palestinian source familiar with the discussions, speaking to KAN News on Thursday, the process of recovering all the deceased hostages could extend for several months.

In contrast with earlier hostage handovers, Hamas pledged that this time both the living and the dead would be transferred quietly, without orchestrated propaganda or media exposure.

Simultaneously, Israel would free an agreed-upon number of Palestinian security prisoners, also without cameras or public ceremonies.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister emphasized in a statement to the global press that “the full implementation of the agreement must be ensured in order to reach a peace that will end the suffering of the Palestinians and the prisoners,” Al Jazeera reported.

{Matzav.com Israel}

On Thursday night, Israel’s cabinet gathered to formally approve the agreement with Hamas. In a rare sight, American representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were present in the room, sitting in for about half an hour during the deliberations.

Inside the meeting, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir lashed out against the plan. “I’m sitting here looking at the list of terrorists being released – murderers of babies, rapists of women,” he said. “With all due respect, the United States would never release people like this. I appreciate your efforts and your support for Israel, but let’s be honest – you would not back a deal of this nature. You speak of economic agreements and peace, but you cannot make peace with Hamas. They want to kill us.”

Witkoff attempted to bring perspective by recounting a personal experience. “I understand your perspective, but let me share a story. My son died of an overdose. I wanted to kill the person responsible, but when I got to court, I saw his parents – ashamed and pleading for forgiveness. And I forgave them.”

Ben Gvir shot back immediately. “Mr. Witkoff, that’s precisely the difference: the people who murdered us on October 7 are not asking for forgiveness. Their families are proud. They glorify murder. They want to kill Jews.”

Kushner interjected, offering a different view. “But Hamas is globally isolated and deterred.”

Ben Gvir was unmoved. “Would you make peace with Hitler? Hamas is Hitler. They want to kill us.”

Earlier in the evening, before the vote, Ben Gvir had already voiced his reservations about the terms of the deal that would bring the hostages home. He expressed both elation and deep concern. “Our hearts are filled with joy, happiness and excitement that all the hostages are expected to return home — the living to their families and to rehabilitation, and the dead for burial,” he said.

Yet he quickly qualified that statement. “Alongside this joy it is absolutely forbidden to ignore the question of price: the release of thousands of terrorists, including 250 murderers who are expected to be freed from our prisons. This is an unbearable price. These are terrorists whom past experience shows will return to terrorism and to their craft of murdering Jews.”

He concluded with a firm declaration that his faction would not lend support to the agreement. “The ministers from Otzma Yehudit will not be able to raise our hands in favor of a deal that releases those murderous terrorists, and we will oppose it in the government.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

After an extended Thursday session, Israel’s cabinet approved the hostage-ceasefire arrangement proposed by President Donald Trump.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu first brought the matter before the security cabinet for deliberation, followed by a full ministerial assembly. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner joined the Israeli discussions after separately meeting with Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.

Most members of the Religious Zionist Party and Otzma Yehudit rejected the proposal — with the lone exception of RZP’s Ofir Sofer.

Senior right-wing figures in the government — Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party), National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit), and Amichai Eliyahu (Otzma Yehudit) — opposed the agreement.

Their objections center primarily on the planned swap of Palestinian detainees in return for the hostages who would come back to Israel.

National Missions Minister Orit Strock, another Religious Zionist Party member, declared she would vote against the arrangement “no matter what,” her spokesman told The Jerusalem Post.

Although Ben-Gvir said he would oppose the deal at the vote, his office indicated on Thursday that his party is not yet intending to abandon the coalition.

Both Smotrich and Ben-Gvir had previously issued “red lines” to Netanyahu, warning they could pull their parties from the government if the proposal moved forward.

Leaked portions of the meeting published in The Jerusalem Post showed sharp disagreements between Ben-Gvir, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner over how the war should be brought to an end.

Ben-Gvir voiced fierce condemnation of freeing convicted attackers, branding them “baby killers” and “women’s rapists.” He argued such people would never be freed in the United States, acknowledged the efforts of his counterparts, but insisted they would not accept such concessions.

He also attacked efforts he viewed as attempting to reconcile with Hamas, saying the group aims to slaughter Israelis and that reconciliation is impossible.

Witkoff, answering Ben-Gvir’s point, recounted how he forgave the drug dealer responsible for his son’s death after meeting the offender’s parents in court.

Ben-Gvir shot back, “Mr. Witkoff, that’s the difference: those who murdered us on October 7th aren’t asking for forgiveness. Their families are proud of it. They want to kill Jews.”

Kushner emphasized his view that Hamas is largely isolated on the world stage and deterred from further action.

Ben-Gvir fired a rhetorical challenge at that claim, asking, “Would you have made peace with Hitler? Hamas is Hitler. They want to murder us.”

During the talks, Kushner told Israeli ministers, “We’ve made a deal here that isolates Hamas and encourages actors in the Arab world to pursue peace. This agreement ensures Israel’s security,” adding that “If we need to act with force, we will. It will either happen the easy way or the hard way.”

Ahead of the vote, Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar (Likud) spoke to The Jerusalem Post to voice his strong support for the pact.

“There’s a clear majority in the government to approve and support the deal,” he said.

Zohar argued the agreement should be embraced because, in his view, Israel has achieved the core aims it set following the October 7 attacks.

“We need to remember that Israel’s war objectives are the return of all hostages and the elimination of Hamas’s ability to control the Gaza Strip and attack Israel. These goals are being met as part of the deal,” Zohar said.

On the anticipated prisoner releases tied to the deal, Zohar urged realism: “We need to understand there’s what we’d like, and there’s what’s possible.”

He added, “We need to move forward with the deal, even if it comes with unpleasant prices that must be paid,” arguing that the country’s objectives have been satisfied.

Smotrich warned on Thursday that freeing Palestinian inmates — whom he called “the next generation of terror leadership” — would carry dire consequences.

He declared that the released detainees would seek to “do everything to continue spilling rivers of Jewish blood.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Hamas leader in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, announced Thursday evening that the ceasefire agreement reached with Israel includes a permanent end to the war, the reopening of the Rafah border crossing, and the release of captives. “The world was astonished by the resilience of the people of Gaza,” al-Hayya declared in his televised address to residents of the enclave.

The statement came shortly after Israel’s security cabinet in Yerushalayim approved in principle the deal for a hostage release and ceasefire, following hours of deliberation.

Al-Hayya, one of Hamas’s senior figures still alive after the assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh, Saleh al-Arouri, and Mohammed Deif, said the deal was mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. He asserted that it guarantees “a complete cessation of hostilities,” a major influx of humanitarian aid, and the reopening of the Rafah crossing.

“We have reached an agreement to end the war and the aggression against the Palestinian people,” al-Hayya said. “We received guarantees from the mediators and from the U.S. administration, and all parties confirmed that the war has ended completely. We will continue to work with all national and Islamic forces to complete the remaining steps.”

In his speech, al-Hayya also commemorated Hamas leaders killed over the past year. “On the anniversary of the battle of October 7, we salute the martyred leaders — Haniyeh, al-Arouri, Sinwar, and Deif,” he said. “The enemy committed massacre after massacre, but the resistance overcame it. As you were men on the battlefield, you were men at the negotiating table.”

The statement was broadcast on Hamas-affiliated media outlets just hours after Israel confirmed cabinet approval of the hostage deal, under which dozens of Israeli captives are expected to be released in the coming days in exchange for a temporary ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

In Jerusalem, the full cabinet meeting to ratify the deal was delayed several hours and was expected to begin at 10 p.m. Most ministers are anticipated to support the agreement, though Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir have voiced opposition, citing the large number of terrorists slated for release. Despite their objections, neither is expected to withdraw from the coalition.

Israeli political and security officials are closely monitoring al-Hayya’s declaration, particularly his claim that “the war has ended completely,” fearing Hamas may seek to portray the agreement as a political and psychological victory before the Arab world.

Israeli military and government spokesmen stressed Thursday night that Jerusalem views the deal as a strictly humanitarian arrangement and not a commitment to a permanent ceasefire. “The sole purpose of this agreement,” officials said, “is the return of human lives.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir announced that his Otzma Yehudit party will oppose the initial phase of the ceasefire plan revealed today, which calls for the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for all 48 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

Although Ben Gvir’s faction will not immediately withdraw from Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s governing coalition, he cautioned that if Hamas’s leadership remains intact, Otzma Yehudit will “bring down the government.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who heads the Religious Zionism party, also declared his intention to vote against the agreement.

The cabinet convened Thursday to decide on the proposal and is expected to approve it, following more than three hours of delay prompted by Ben Gvir’s objections to the inclusion of 250 Palestinian security prisoners serving life terms among those scheduled for release.

“Our hearts are filled with joy, happiness and excitement that all the hostages are expected to return home,” Ben Gvir said in a statement. “But alongside this joy, we must not — under any circumstances — ignore the question of the price: the release of thousands of terrorists, including 250 murderers who are expected to be freed from prisons.”

Because of that, Ben Gvir said, Otzma Yehudit could not support “a deal that releases those murderous terrorists, and we will oppose it in the government.”

He also stated that he told Netanyahu he would not stay in “a government that allows Hamas’s rule in Gaza to continue.”

According to Ben Gvir, the prime minister assured him that would not occur, but he added: “If Hamas’s rule is not dismantled, or if we are merely told that it has been dismantled while in reality it continues to exist under another guise — Otzma Yehudit will bring down the government.”

Should Ben Gvir and Smotrich both depart from the fragile 60-seat coalition, the government — already without a clear Knesset majority — would shrink to just 47 seats out of 120, a collapse that could pave the way for early elections.

{Matzav.com Israel}

When Sheba Medical Center first received 46 hostages released from Hamas captivity in late 2023 and early 2024, Dr. Noya Shilo, head of the hospital’s Return to Life Center for hostages and their families, acknowledged that there was no established procedure to follow. “There was no protocol and few guidelines in medical literature for how to handle this,” she said at the time.

Now, Times of Israel reports, with another group of freed hostages expected to return, Sheba announced on Thursday that it is “in the midst of final preparations” to receive some of the roughly 20 living captives being released under the latest ceasefire deal.

The Health Ministry confirmed that the healthcare system has now created “specific guidelines” for hospitals designated to treat the returnees. These updated protocols have been adapted to address the expected medical and psychological conditions of individuals who have endured more than 734 days in captivity.

Times of Israel reports that the preparations, overseen by Dr. Hagar Mizrachi, head of the ministry’s Medical Division, draw on “lessons learned from previous releases and rescue operations.”

Alongside Sheba Medical Center, the designated treatment centers include Tel Aviv Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center in Tel Aviv and Beilinson Medical Center in Petah Tikva. In cases requiring emergency care, returnees may be transported to Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba or Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon—both closer to Gaza.

The National Center of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir has also finalized arrangements to receive and identify the bodies of hostages who did not survive, continuing a process similar to that used in past operations.

The Health Ministry revealed that it contacted the Red Cross several weeks ago, requesting that Hamas not attempt to overfeed captives before their release. The concern, the ministry explained, is that the terror group might do so to disguise signs of long-term starvation.

Medical experts warned that after extended malnutrition, a sudden increase in food consumption can lead to a dangerous condition called refeeding syndrome, which can trigger neurological, respiratory, and cardiac complications.

None of the hostages have been visited by Red Cross representatives throughout their imprisonment in Gaza.

To ensure proper recovery, the Health Ministry instructed hospitals to care for the returnees in separate, secure areas away from other patients, including the emergency department.

Each freed hostage will be placed in a private room, accompanied by family members or trusted companions. The designated area will include both shared spaces for group gatherings and secluded areas for rest and family interaction, according to the ministry.

Given the extended duration of captivity, hospitals were advised to conduct a thorough review of each person’s medical background, paying special attention to untreated conditions that may have worsened during captivity.

A preliminary medical assessment will take place immediately upon arrival “if possible, in the presence of a family member or trusted companion,” the ministry stated.

After family reunification, a second, more detailed evaluation will be performed in coordination with security officials to complete the full medical review.

Each returnee will be examined by a nurse and an emergency medicine specialist, with additional consultations arranged as needed. Hospitals will also receive data on any food or medical care provided immediately upon the hostages’ arrival in Israel. The ministry emphasized that hospitals should consult senior specialists before finalizing treatment decisions.

During the hospitalization period, a multidisciplinary support team will be assembled for each patient. This team will include a primary physician, consulting doctors, a nurse, social worker, psychiatrist, psychologist, dietitian, and forensic doctor.

The team will collaborate closely to develop a personalized, long-term care plan for each returnee.

At Beilinson Hospital, Dr. Michal Steinman, the director of nursing, recalled that preparations to receive nine hostages in February 2024 felt like “detective work.” “We went system by system, ears, eyes, mouth, hair, skin, kidneys, urine, whatever it is, muscles, to think what is happening to a person who is under those conditions of captivity,” Steinman said.

Hospitals will also conduct a psychiatric evaluation within 24 hours of admission. If unusual psychological symptoms are observed, they will be reviewed alongside physical assessments to determine whether they stem from medical causes.

A psychiatrist will lead the overall mental health care plan, guiding medical teams in trauma-sensitive treatment, coordinating with security officials, and providing ongoing support to both the returnee and their family.

A dietitian will evaluate each patient’s nutritional status through physical exams, lab tests, and medical history, with a focus on preventing refeeding syndrome. Families will receive detailed instruction, and each returnee will receive a customized daily meal plan adjusted to their recovery progress.

After completing medical and psychological assessments, staff will decide whether continued hospitalization is necessary or if the patient can safely transition to outpatient care. The ministry recommended that all returnees remain hospitalized for at least four days within the dedicated care unit to ensure stability and close monitoring.

“The return from captivity requires immediate medical evaluation and treatment in hospital, followed by long-term physical, mental, and social care and monitoring after discharge,” the Health Ministry wrote. “The response must be comprehensive, ongoing, and personalized, while maintaining strict privacy.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s insistence on blocking the release of certain Palestinian prisoners, including convicted terrorists, has reportedly led to a delay in the security cabinet meeting regarding the ceasefire agreement. According to the Kan public broadcaster, his objections also postponed the subsequent full cabinet session that was meant to approve the deal.

The security cabinet session concluded only recently, but the larger government meeting, initially planned for 6 p.m., was pushed back by more than three hours. The delay further stalled the expected ratification of the agreement that aims to secure the return of the 48 remaining hostages held by terrorist factions in Gaza — 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.

Under the terms of the deal, Israel is set to release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, along with approximately 1,700 Gazans who were detained following the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, which triggered the current war.

While Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has already declared his opposition to the agreement, Ben Gvir has not publicly revealed how he intends to vote. However, the Otzma Yehudit chairman has warned that he will withdraw his party from the coalition if Hamas “continues to exist” once the hostages are freed — a position consistent with his earlier walkout from the government during a previous ceasefire earlier this year.

{Matzav.com Israel}

New York Attorney General Letitia James has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Virginia on a criminal bank fraud charge.  

Tens of thousands of Yidden attended a mass Birkas Kohanim this morning at the Kosel. The large Birkas Kohanim is held every Chol Hamoed and draws tremendous crowds.

The entire Old City of Yerushalayim was closed to vehicles as thousands streamed by foot and via bus to the Kosel. Some had davened Shacharis elsewhere, while others took part at minyanim at the Kosel. All joined together for the central Birkas Kohanim, with the Kosel chazzan calling out the bracha over a microphone. Hundreds of kohanim gathered at the front of the minyan, right by the Kosel, to bentch their fellow Yidden.

After davening, many in the crowd went to greet Rav Shmuel Rabinovitch, rov of the Kosel, and the chief rabbis to receive their bracha and wish them chag sameiach.

The biannual event was first started by Rav Menachem Mendel Gefner zt”l.

This was the 56th year since the first public Birkas Kohanim took place on Sukkos at the Kosel.

WATCH:

President Donald Trump convened a Cabinet meeting on Thursday to discuss the newly signed ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, a deal that will result in the release of all remaining hostages by early next week.

Opening the meeting, Trump celebrated the development as a major diplomatic triumph. “As you know, last night we reached a momentous breakthrough in the Middle East … we ended the war in Gaza, and on a much bigger basis, created peace.”

The president confirmed that every hostage still held in Gaza will soon return home. “We secured the release of all of the remaining hostages, and they should be released on Monday or Tuesday,” he said. “Getting them is a complicated process – I’d rather not tell you what they have to do to get them.”

Trump announced plans to travel to the region over the weekend, with a signing ceremony expected to take place in Egypt. He is also slated to visit Israel on Sunday as part of the peace mission.

Reflecting on the events that triggered the war, Trump said he “remembers October 7th,” describing it as “terrible.” He added that Hamas had suffered devastating losses in what he described as “big retribution,” estimating that the terror group had “probably lost about 70,000 people.”

“At some point, that whole thing has to stop,” Trump continued. “Gaza is going to be slowly redone … by certain countries. What they make will do wonders for Gaza.”

In a rare comment of approval for the press, Trump commended news outlets for their reporting on the breakthrough, saying the media had covered the development “very fairly.”

The president also credited June’s military strikes on Iran as a contributing factor to the success of the ceasefire, noting that Tehran had been on the verge of completing a nuclear weapon. He warned that, had Iran succeeded, it would have cast a “dark cloud” over the peace process.

{Matzav.com}

Far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich announced Thursday that their parties will vote against the first phase of Israel’s newly announced ceasefire and hostage-release agreement, setting up a potential confrontation that could fracture Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile governing coalition. The deal — which the cabinet is expected to approve tonight following hours of delay — calls for the release of all 48 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. But Ben Gvir, Israel’s National Security Minister and head of the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party, said the cost of the agreement was too high. “Our hearts are filled with joy, happiness and excitement that all the hostages are expected to return home,” Ben Gvir said in a statement. “But alongside this joy, we must not — under any circumstances — ignore the question of the price: the release of thousands of terrorists, including 250 murderers who are expected to be freed from prisons.” Citing the danger of releasing convicted terrorists, Ben Gvir said Otzma Yehudit would “oppose the deal in the government.” The cabinet meeting, delayed for more than three hours over Ben Gvir’s objections to the prisoner list, is still expected to ratify the agreement later tonight. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who leads the Religious Zionism party, also announced his faction would vote against the deal, deepening tensions between Netanyahu’s far-right partners and the rest of the coalition. While Ben Gvir said his party would remain in the coalition for now, he issued a warning to Netanyahu. “I made it clear to the prime minister that I will not remain in a government that allows Hamas’s rule in Gaza to continue,” he said. “If Hamas’s rule is not dismantled, or if we are merely told that it has been dismantled while in reality it continues to exist under another guise — Otzma Yehudit will bring down the government.” If both Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism withdraw from the coalition, Netanyahu’s 60-seat government — already short of a parliamentary majority — would fall to just 47 seats in the 120-member Knesset, potentially triggering new elections. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s chief negotiator in the ceasefire deal announced Thursday, delivered his first public remarks since the agreement was reached, declaring that the group had secured U.S. guarantees to end the war “indefinitely” and confirming the key terms of the accord with Israel. Speaking in Gaza City, al-Hayya claimed Hamas had “acted responsibly” throughout negotiations led by mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, with backing from Iran and Yemen, and that the agreement marked the “end of the war” and the start of an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. “Today we announce an agreement to end the war, [see Israel] withdraw from the Strip and carry out a prisoner exchange,” al-Hayya said. “We received guarantees from the mediators and the Americans that the war has ended indefinitely.” The deal — officially announced earlier Thursday by the White House and the Israeli government — calls for the release of all 48 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for 250 Palestinian security prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 additional detainees from Gaza who were imprisoned after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The later stages of the agreement, which include Hamas’s disarmament and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, have yet to be negotiated. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said earlier Thursday that Israel “is not preparing to renew the war,” signaling that Jerusalem is prepared to uphold the ceasefire as long as Hamas complies with its terms. Al-Hayya’s speech blended triumph and defiance, framing the agreement as both a military and diplomatic victory for Hamas. “Just as they were men on the battlefield, so we were men at the negotiating table,” he said, referring to Hamas operatives killed in the fighting. By invoking American “guarantees” of peace, al-Hayya appeared to credit President Donald Trump’s administration with playing a decisive role in finalizing the agreement — a claim that could complicate Israel’s domestic debate over the deal and its long-term implications for Gaza’s future governance. The remarks also underscored the influence of regional powers long aligned with Hamas. “We thank Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey for their mediation, and we thank our brothers in Iran and Yemen for their steadfast support,” al-Hayya said, acknowledging Tehran and the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen — both of which have maintained hostilities against Israel throughout the war. While the ceasefire represents the most significant diplomatic breakthrough since the conflict erupted last year, Israeli officials have yet to confirm the duration or scope of the American “guarantees” cited by al-Hayya — leaving key questions about enforcement and verification still unresolved. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

According to an Israeli official cited by Hebrew-language outlets, the bodies of slain Hamas figures Yahya Sinwar and his brother Mohammed Sinwar will not be included in the developing hostage-prisoner exchange agreement.

Yahya Sinwar, regarded as the chief mastermind behind the October 7 massacre, and his brother Mohammed, who temporarily led the terrorist organization, were both eliminated by Israeli forces.

{Matzav.com}

WATCH:

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee lavished praise on President Donald Trump for what he described as a once-unimaginable accomplishment — a sweeping Middle East peace accord that ends the Gaza conflict and secures the release of hostages held by Hamas.

“I’m ecstatic with the news that President Trump has done what people thought not possible,” Huckabee told Newsmax on Thursday. “He’s made it so that the hostages are going to come home; there will be an end to the war in Gaza; and Hamas won’t have a future there.”

Huckabee said the success of the deal, from its ceasefire terms to the diplomatic cooperation that made it possible, stemmed directly from Trump’s personal involvement and determination.

“Everything he said needed to happen, it’s going to happen. And it’s going to happen for one reason: that’s because President Trump is the one who made this all work together,” Huckabee said during an appearance on National Report.

He applauded Trump’s efforts to bring together regional partners while remaining a steadfast ally of Israel throughout the negotiations.

“Don’t let anyone take this from him. This is his achievement, and he deserves the credit for it — all of the credit,” Huckabee said.

Huckabee acknowledged the roles of key figures such as Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who assisted in the talks, but maintained that Trump alone deserves the ultimate recognition.

“It’s the quarterback that threw the touchdown pass — and that’s Donald Trump,” he said.

The ambassador, who has served in his post throughout Trump’s second term, said the landmark deal would finally offer solace to the families of the captives and bring long-sought stability to the region.

“How grateful I am to be able to serve with him, for him, and to see this incredible achievement that is going to mean the world to these families — and to the entire nation of Israel,” he said.

Reflecting on Trump’s enduring support for Israel, Huckabee recalled the president’s first-term decisions to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, move the U.S. Embassy there, and affirm Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

“He was so instrumental and historic in his efforts,” Huckabee said. “Then in his second term, bringing really the end of the war with Iran by sending the B-2 bombers in at the very strategic moment. And now this historic peace agreement.”

Huckabee noted that Trump’s consistent backing of Israel has made him deeply admired by its citizens.

“If Donald Trump were on the ballot in Israel, he would get 95% of the vote,” Huckabee said, “and the 5% who didn’t vote for him — they’re all in insane asylums.”

Under the agreement, every hostage held by Hamas — both those alive and those who perished — is expected to be returned to their families by Tuesday.

“We hope it’s as early as Sunday, but certainly by Tuesday,” Huckabee said, acknowledging that coordination and health concerns remain. “These are people that have been starved and tortured for two years, so it’s not going to be a minute too soon.”

The main challenge, he said, is ensuring Hamas fulfills its obligation to deliver all captives simultaneously, including identifying and returning the bodies of the deceased. Israel has confirmed that 20 hostages are alive and 28 are dead.

“I think we know that they will be able to produce all of the living hostages and I think most, if not all of the deceased hostages. But the deceased hostages will be the biggest challenge in some cases, just to make sure they know where they are,” Huckabee said. “My prayer is that all of them, every hostage, deceased and living, will return to their families.”

Huckabee concluded with a pledge of ongoing commitment from both nations: “Both Israel and the United States will not rest and will never stop doing everything possible to make sure that all the hostages are discovered and brought home.”

{Matzav.com}

DEVELOPING: The Security Cabinet has concluded its meeting to discuss and approve the ceasefire and hostage-release stage of the U.S.-brokered plan to end the war in Gaza, according to an official from one of the participating ministries who spoke to The Times of Israel. The proposal will now be brought before the full cabinet for a vote, where it is expected to pass with a strong majority.