US EditionTel Aviv's Hostages Square is transformed by cautious optimism — and gratitude for Trump - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Hostages Square shifted from grief to cautious optimism as a Trump-brokered deal promises the release of 48 hostages, raising hopes to end the Gaza war.
- On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced an agreement under which all 48 Israeli hostages would be released in the first phase, a deal described as capable of ending the Gaza war.
- Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square had stood since Oct. 7, 2023 as a gathering place for families of hostages and vigils marked by grief, with Bo’u forming in late 2024 to sustain pressure for a release deal.
- On Thursday the square erupted in song and dance as wartime songs filled the air, Ariel Vinter, Jerusalem resident, led singing, and children and volunteers prepared `welcome home` notes.
- Families of hostages expressed cautious optimism and said `Of course we’re holding our breath` while activists in Hostages Square planned to sustain activities as Israeli lawmakers sign off.
- Some attendees publicly thanked Trump and credited him, saying `We couldn’t have done this without him.` American flags and effigies appeared alongside handmade thank-you posters, while vendors and skeptics warned they would wait to see.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Why Israel must never negotiate for hostages again
The Social Contract Must Evolve By Gregg Roman, Real Clear World, Middle East Forum The imminent release of hostages from Gaza under President Trump’s peace deal, which was announced yesterday, is cause for celebration and will bring relief to families who have endured two years of anguish. But this moment masks a strategic catastrophe that threatens to perpetuate an endless cycle of abduction and murder. At the heart of Israel’s vulnerability l…
'The protest movement that emerged during the Gaza war must develop political influence'
Udi Goren, cousin of murdered hostage Tal Haimi, whose body is being held in Gaza, worries that Israel will not be able to find and return all the hostages. He believes that the return of the hostages is only the beginning of a long struggle to restore the influence of the liberal public on decision-making in Israel
As thousands of displaced people return to the north of the enclave, Donald Trump's truce gives a breath of hope after two years of war. But this first phase, centred on the exchange of hostages and the Israeli partial withdrawal, remains reversible.
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