War in Israel: Update on Current Situation

JOYOUS AND HISTORIC DAY IN ISRAEL

On the eve of Simchat Torah in Israel, exactly two years since the nightmare began:
 

  • Jubilation in Israel as all 20 remaining live hostages have been returned to the Jewish state and reunited with their families
  • US President Donald Trump speaks before the Knesset and meets released hostages and families
  • Netanyahu is  invited to join a large group of Middle Eastern leaders, alongside President Trump. Speculation that Indonesian leader may arrive in Israel on an unprecedented visit
  • All hostages are in reasonable physical condition
  • An entire nation breathes a giant sigh of relief

See Jewish Federations of North America’s statement here. And see this page 3 notice from Jewish Federations in today’s Jerusalem Post special edition.

Hostages Released

  • All 20 remaining hostages have been released by Hamas as part of the historic agreement to end the war. No live hostages are still in Gaza.
  • The released, all men, are in reasonable physical condition, and have been reunited with their families. Most appear to be thin and pale, but standing on their own feet and smiling.
  • Each of the hostages was handed over to the Red Cross inside Gaza. The international organization then transported the freed men across the border into Israel and presented them to the IDF. After a short security and medical check, the hostages were reunited with their families, before being transported by helicopter to hospitals inside Israel where dedicated units had been set up to welcome them and deal with their immediate needs.
  • Across Israel, and especially in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, millions of Israelis have gathered in public places and around their television screens, (as have Jews across the world). Scenes of jubilation, unrestrained crying, dancing, and singing are being broadcast across the world.
  • The 20 released hostages are:
    1. Yosef-Haim Ohana
    2. Alon Ohel
    3. Matan Angrest
    4. Gali Berman
    5. Ziv Berman
    6. Guy Gilboa-Dalal
    7. Eitan Mor
    8. Omri Miran
    9. Avinatan Or
    10. Elkana Bohbot
    11. Rom Braslavski
    12. Evyatar David
    13. Eitan Horn
    14. Maxim Herkin
    15. Nimrod Cohen
    16. Segev Kalfon
    17. Matan Zangauker
    18. Ariel Cunio
    19. David Cunio
    20. Bar Kupershtein
  • Later today, Hamas will begin transferring the coffins of four of the 28 slain hostages. At this stage, it is not clear how many bodies Hamas has been able to locate.

President Trump Visit

  • President Trump landed in Israel at 9:00am local time today and was greeted at the airport by President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and other senior Israeli leaders. Herzog said, “Welcome to Israel. The Israeli people welcome you with so much love and so much gratitude! Thank you for all you have done to bring our hostages home! Thank you for your commitment to building a better future of peace in our region! God bless Israel! God bless America!”
  • Before landing, Air Force One made a low-altitude flyby over Hostage Square in Tel Aviv where tens of thousands were watching the news on giant screens.
  • Trump traveled straight to the Knesset where he became the fourth US President to address Israel’s parliament. Upon arrival, Trump said, “This is a great day, the war is over.”
  • Jewish Federations of North America are being represented at the event by Senior Vice President Rebecca Caspi, who also heads our Israel Office.
  • At the Knesset, Trump also met with Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders, as well as with deceased and returning hostages, wounded IDF soldiers, those who were injured in terrorist attacks on October 7, and bereaved families.
  • Trump is being treated with hero-like status in Israel for his role in securing the hostages’ release. Some television reporters are even going so far as to predict a wave of Israeli babies to be named Donald in the near future. There are also proposals to change the name of Hostages Square to “Trump Square.”

Major Regional Developments

  • Trump will head next to Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt for a summit with regional Middle Eastern leaders.
  • A short time ago, in a surprise development, President Al-Sisi of Egypt, who has refused to meet with Netanyahu until now, called the Israeli Prime Minister and invited him to join the regional summit. Netanyahu has declined due to the Simchat Torah festival.
  • There is considerable speculation that the President of Indonesia, a country with no diplomatic relations with Israel (and the largest Muslim country in the world), will visit Israel. This marks an unprecedented move that could signal the expansion of the Abraham Accords.

Emotional Reunions

  • Numerous moving, and highly emotional scenes of reunions between hostages and their families, as well as the IDF, have been recorded. A sample can be seen here:
    • Guy Gilboa-Dalal: Video and photos.
    • Avinatan Or: Photos
    • Video of Evyatar David and Avinatan Or’s families watching live as he is transferred to the IDF in Israel.
    • Photo of twin hostages Gali and Ziv Berman, both big fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer club, wearing team shirts they changed into, on their way to the hospital.
    • Eitan Mor: Video and photos
    • Matan Zangauker: Video and photos
    • Rom Broslavski: Video
    • Eitan Horn: Photo
    • Segev Kalfon being transferred from the Red Cross to the IDF

Here is a translation from Hebrew of part of an article by Makor Rishon editor Kalman Liebskind, who captured what many in the Jewish state are feeling:

“The coming days will be days of great joy and of deep concern. But alongside all of this, and perhaps before all of this, it is fitting for each of us to… bow our heads and offer our profound thanks to those to whom everything we hold dear is owed.

“So alongside the joy that will burst out here, let us not for a moment forget those who went to the battlefield to destroy the enemy and bring our people home. Let us go to the parents of Shoham Menachem from Moshav Yardena, lay a comforting hand on the heads of the daughters of Guy Idan from Kibbutz Shomrat, offer a word of consolation to the widow of Ehsan Daxa from Daliyat al Karmel, bow our heads before the family of Roy Beit Yaakov from Eli, salute the brother and sister of Ido Ovadia from Tel Aviv.

“We, who believe in this country and are convinced that ‘od yoter tov’ -it will be ever better and better, remember that for this group there will always be a golden share in all that will blossom and grow here, in our good land.”

Allow me to add a personal note:

Since October 7, 2023 I have been writing updates for Federations about the war, and I’ve always stuck to the reporting. However, after exactly two years of penning these updates, today’s edition is different. We can indeed feel the weight of history today, and the unbridled joy of the moment. At the same time, we have heavy hearts for all the tragedy and everything that has been lost, alongside genuine concern for what the future may hold.

The hostages now begin the long process of physical and emotional rehabilitation – as does an entire nation.

But now, a few hours before Simchat Torah begins in Israel, we can say, without any hesitation, that all of us – the survivors of Nova, those going to synagogues for the holiday, and Jews across the world: We will dance again!

שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה.

Shehehiyanu, veki’imanu vehigiyanu lazman hazeh.

Chag sameach from Israel 

Dani Wassner,
Jewish Federations of North America, Israel Office