Israelis congratulate Trump at celebration of Hamas hostage deal in Tel Aviv

TEL AVIV: Two years of pain were drowned out by tears of joy in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square on Thursday, as Israelis celebrated President Donald Trump’s announcement of the first phase of a deal to end the war between Israel and Hamas.

“I’m thrilled, overwhelmed, happy – all the good feelings in the world,” Daniel Lifshitz told Fox News Digital in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square.

Lifshitz’s grandfather, Oded Lifshitz, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, and then killed in captivity by Hamas. His remains were returned to Israel in February 2025 for burial.

TRUMP PEACE DEAL TRIGGERS 72-HOUR COUNTDOWN FOR HAMAS TO FREE 48 HOSTAGES FROM GAZA

People gather in Hostages Square during a rally as a participant displays a sign listing the names of hostages following the peace deal between Israel and Hamas. (Dana Reany/Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

“When your loved one is a deceased hostage, your soul can’t rest. You don’t know what to do, you don’t have a place to cry. You can’t make up a grave and go there,” Lifshitz said.

“There are fears that some hostages will not return, that some bodies will not be found. We will stay here until the last one is brought home, but today is a public holiday.”

On Wednesday, Trump announced the deal, writing: “This means that all hostages will be released very soon and that Israel will withdraw its troops along an agreed-upon line as the first step toward a strong, lasting and everlasting peace.” »

Israelis hold “We love Trump” signs in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, October 9, 2025. (Amélie Botbol/Fox News)

Israelis wearing Trump masks and waving American flags or signs thanking the US president gathered in the square in a scene of euphoria, taking photos with other supporters, chanting “The people of Israel live,” and brimming with hope as the nation prepares to welcome home the hostages kidnapped by Hamas 733 days ago.

Galit Even-Chen was one of thousands of Israelis who marked the event on Hostages Square.

“I feel the need to identify with happiness,” she told Fox News Digital as she broke down in tears. “Sharing the joy of families, being there and believing that it’s really happening.

“Until the last hostage returns, it’s not over,” she continued. “We’re still traumatized; we’re not even post-traumatic yet. We still have to understand what happened here. It seems unreal – and today it’s a kind of catharsis, a relief to know that we’re starting something better.”

Trump says ‘the whole world came together’ to secure peace deal between Israel and Hamas after months of stalemate

An Israeli dressed as President Trump hands American flags to his supporters at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, October 9, 2025. (Amélie Botbol/Fox News)

The headquarters of the Forum on Hostages and Missing Families expressed “deep gratitude” Wednesday evening to Trump and his team for the leadership and determination that led to this “historic breakthrough.”

“There are 48 hostages still held by Hamas. Our moral and national duty is to bring them all home, alive and fallen. Their return is essential for the healing and renewal of Israeli society as a whole. We will not rest and remain silent until the last hostage has returned home,” the statement said.

Harrosh Menashe, the uncle of Hamas hostage Elkana Bohbot, who was captured at the Supernova festival on October 7 and is presumed alive, told Fox News Digital that Trump’s announcement was a “relief” as he visited the Kibbutz Nahal Oz memorial tent for the massacre victims in the square.

“We already feel a little lighter, less heavy than before. We hope to return to how we once were, but that has to happen as soon as possible. For now, we are floating in the air; we have to stay on the ground and watch how things unfold,” Menashe added.

Harrosh Menashe, Elkana Bohbot’s uncle, poses near the Nahal Oz tent in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, October 9, 2025. (Amélie Botbol/Fox News)

The Israeli military announced preparations to accommodate the 20 hostages living at the Re’im base, located near the border with Gaza, including the creation of a dedicated area where they will be examined by medical officials and refreshed before being reunited with their families. Subsequently, the released captives will be flown to hospitals across Israel, which have already vacated dedicated wards.

Earlier this week, the families of the hostages sent a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, calling on the body to award Trump the Nobel Peace Prize because he “made possible what many considered impossible.”

“Over the past year, no leader or organization has contributed more to world peace than President Trump,” the letter said. “While many spoke eloquently about peace, he achieved it. While others made empty promises, he produced tangible results that saved countless lives.”

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Trump and first lady Melania thanked the forum in a letter sent Tuesday, the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre led by Hamas.

“My entire administration was touched by the fact that, despite the unimaginable pain and suffering of spending two years without knowing the whereabouts of your loved ones, you continued to tell their stories and advocate for them,” Trump wrote.