Freed hostages reunite with families amid emotional scenes across Israel, highlighting the human toll of the 2-year Israel-Hamas conflict.
BY PC Bureau
October 13, 2025 : In a whirlwind visit lasting under four hours, U.S. President Donald Trump became only the fourth American president to address Israel’s Knesset, marking a historic milestone: the release of all 20 remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for 737 days since the October 7, 2023 attacks. Trump’s speech, delivered amid sustained applause, celebrated the ceasefire he helped broker, framing it as the end of a two-year war that claimed over 67,000 Palestinian lives and 1,200 Israeli ones, while reshaping the region’s geopolitical landscape.
Touching down at Ben Gurion International Airport at 9:20 a.m. local time, Trump was greeted by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a subdued ceremony. He immediately traveled via motorcade to Jerusalem, meeting privately with Netanyahu and the freed hostages’ families before entering the Knesset chamber.
President Trump receives a long standing ovation in Israel’s parliament, as lawmakers chant his name – “Donald Trump” – again and again. pic.twitter.com/EONaVUSoid
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) October 13, 2025
The Hostage Swap: A Long-Awaited Relief
The visit centered on the first phase of a complex hostage-prisoner exchange under Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, brokered by the U.S., Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey. Announced on October 8, the deal required Hamas to release all surviving hostages in exchange for Israel freeing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences, 22 minors, and 360 bodies of militants. Partial Israeli troop withdrawals had already paved the way for the ceasefire.
Early Monday morning, hostages were transferred in batches from Gaza via the International Red Cross to Re’im military base in southern Israel for medical evaluations and family reunions. Among them were Eitan Mor, Alon Ohel, Ziv and Gali Berman, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Omri Miran, and Matan Angrest. Emotional scenes erupted across Israel, including at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, where families described the return as “brightening every room” after years of anguish. Vice President JD Vance confirmed Trump would personally welcome the hostages, signaling the administration’s hands-on role.
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A Hero’s Welcome in the Knesset
At 11:00 a.m., Trump entered the Knesset to a prolonged standing ovation. Lawmakers donned red “MAGA” hats reading “Trump the Peace President,” and chants of “Donald Trump! Donald Trump!” echoed through the chamber. Ivanka Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Ambassador Mike Huckabee, part of the U.S. delegation, received similar applause.
Trump signed the Knesset guest book: “This is my great honor – a great and beautiful day, a new beginning.” In his address, broadcast live, he declared, “The war is over,” crediting the ceasefire to U.S. diplomacy and direct intervention. He drew parallels to his earlier conflict resolutions, including India-Pakistan tensions earlier in 2025.
READ:
The Gaza war is officially over.
US President Donald Trump has declared while in Israel’s Knesset, calling it “a great and beautiful day” as he signed the Parliament’s guest bookIn recognition of his role in mediating the Gaza ceasefire and securing the release of… https://t.co/rgBC4KOgPS pic.twitter.com/B51qXxHavt
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) October 13, 2025
Global Summit in Egypt
Following the Knesset visit, Trump traveled to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for a high-stakes peace summit co-chaired with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Over 20 world leaders attended, including Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Olaf Scholz, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The summit aimed to finalize aid packages, troop withdrawals, and Gaza reconstruction plans, echoing the Abraham Accords in scope but with broader stakes. Trump framed the trip as a demonstration of his deal-making prowess ahead of a potential Nobel Peace Prize recognition.
READ: Israel-Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt: Families Reunite With Freed Hostages
A Fragile Dawn
While the first phase of the deal succeeded, unresolved issues lingered: Hamas disarmament, oversight of Gaza reconstruction, and domestic political challenges in Israel, including Prime Minister Netanyahu’s legal scrutiny. Still, the day’s images—tearful reunions, Knesset ovations, and Trump signing the guest book—offered a rare moment of hope in a region long defined by conflict. As one social media user put it, “Promises made, promises kept.”
October 13, 2025, may well be remembered as a fleeting yet historic dawn in the Middle East’s turbulent history.
