Government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian told the foreign press on Thursday that senior Fatah official Marwan Barghouti—one of the figures Hamas demanded to release —will not be freed as part of the deal.
Added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided that the operation to free the hostages will be called “Returning to Their Border.”
Live from Hostages Square, Tel Aviv
“At this stage, I can tell you that he will not be part of the deal,” Bedrosian told reporters. She added that the final draft of the first phase was agreed upon and signed in Egypt this morning. According to her, after the hostages are released, the IDF will control 53% of the Gaza Strip. Within 24 hours of the government’s approval of the agreement, the IDF will withdraw to those lines, and within 72 hours afterward, the hostages—both the living and the dead—will be released.
"This is the best morning in the world. I can’t even begin to describe how I’m feeling," said Tala Herkin, her voice trembling, in a Thursday morning interview with Ynet. Tala is the mother of Maxim Herkin, an Israeli hostage set to be released under the deal announced overnight by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Herkins have kept a low profile over the past two years, but after the historic announcement, Tala shared her emotional reaction: "I’m happy, I’m confused. My head can’t process all the information. I believe that in the end, everything will be okay."
“I didn’t sleep all night,” she added. “From 2 a.m., once we understood through the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and the media that a deal had been reached, I couldn’t close my eyes — and I didn’t want to. I’m overjoyed that my eldest and beloved son is coming home, but I’m also sad and grieving for the families of the soldiers who went to war and never came back. True joy will come only when all the hostages and all the fallen are back — when every family has their loved one back.”
“This time, I believe it’s really over,” she said. “But until I’m holding my son again, I’m not saying thank you.”
Maxim was abducted from the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im on Oct. 7, 2023. Tala described the two years since his kidnapping as a “nightmare — there’s no other word.”
“I always had hope, always believed he would return. Deep down, I knew he was alive. The reason is simple: God gave me Maxim as a gift, and He can’t take him away from me.”
Tala gave birth to Maxim when she was 16 and a half. “I can’t even remember my life without Maxim,” she said. Her younger son, Peter, is 13. “The bond between them is incredible. Maxim isn’t just his brother — he’s like a father to him. Their connection is like that of a parent and child. They’re 24 years apart.”
Maxim also has a daughter, Monica, who lives in Russia with his former partner, Yelena. Just days before his abduction, he had visited them in Russia and returned to Israel — only to be taken hostage four days later. “When we heard during the night that Maxim was coming back, we made arrangements for Monica to fly to Israel next week to see her father,” Tala said through tears. “She celebrated two birthdays without him. For two years, she’s looked for him every day and misses him terribly.”
Asked whether she has thought about what she’ll say when she sees him again, Tala replied: “No. I have no plan. I believe everything comes from God, and what is meant to happen will happen. The most important thing to me is to see him strong, healthy and whole.”
She added, “My mind can’t yet process the moment I’ll know he’s back in Israel — that we’ll meet, that I’ll be able to hug him. At the same time, my heart breaks for all the soldiers who went to war to fight terrorists and bring the hostages home, and didn’t return. I cry with every mother and father.”
'I got the message, got dressed and came': Families celebrate at 'Square of the Returned'
Hours after Trump announced the historic agreement, families of captives and survivors of captivity gathered overnight at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, the locus of their activist movement. By midday, the square was steadily filling with supporters, with some already calling for its name to be changed to “Square of the Returned.”
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Dani Miran (left), father of hostage Omri Miran, with Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai
(Photo: Yariv Katz)
Dani Miran, father of hostage Omri Miran, spoke at the site with Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, urging him to rename the square in honor of the freed captives. “I hardly sleep at night anyway,” he said. “Last night, even more so. My granddaughters came into the room — we danced and cried.”
Describing his emotions, Miran said, “The joy is layered — the happiness that Omri is coming home, and the joy of seeing the people of Israel standing here. When I came to the square and it was pouring rain, and people stood there dancing — where else do you see something like that? This is our people. I love the people of Israel.”
Itzik Horn, father of hostage Eitan Horn, told Ynet: “I woke up, started reading messages, didn’t quite understand what was happening. I turned on the TV — and that was it. I got it, got dressed and came to the square. Now I hope we’ll see Eitan and the others on Monday. That’s when I’ll really believe it’s happening.”
His son Iair was released in a previous deal, while Eitan remained in Gaza. “I assume survival has been harder for him since then — they had each other, and one supported the other. But I know he’s strong. I know how thin he is now, how hard it was for him.”
As for the moment Eitan returns, Horn said, “First, I’ll tell him he took the diet a bit too far. Then we’ll hug, cry a little, and start with our family jokes.”
Rivka Bohbot, wife of hostage Elkana Bohbot, shared her emotional reaction: “For two years I’ve fought for my husband’s life — for his return, for our home, for hope. This is the moment a child gets to hug his father again. It’s the moment my family comes back to life. A moment when an entire country chooses my husband — and all the hostages. It’s the beginning of the end of the pain, until the last hostage is home.”
Shimon Or, uncle of hostage Avinatan Or, spoke of cautious optimism. “In the last two days, it felt like everything was slipping away. There were reports that Hamas wanted to delay any release until the war ended, and we were terrified the deal would collapse.”
After Trump’s announcement, he said, “We got the answer we wanted — first the hostages return, and then we deal with everything else. For us, that’s what we’ve been saying from the start, and Israel is still protecting its security interests. But we’re not celebrating until we see Avinatan with our own eyes. We don’t believe Hamas. We don’t trust them — not until the deal is signed and sealed.”
Dani Elgarat, whose brother Itzik was killed and returned in the previous exchange, expressed both gratitude and frustration. “I’m very happy — but I haven’t forgotten,” he said. “We’re keeping our feet on the ground. First, we wait for everyone to return. Then, we’ll need to take a long hard look, because this didn’t happen until leadership stepped in.”
“What we’ve gone through these two years — we have no reason to feel relief,” Elgarat added. “We discovered we have a country without leadership, without values. We don’t forget. This isn’t something that just passes and we move on. Someone has to be held accountable, and they will be.”
Anat Angrest, mother of hostage Matan Angrest, described hearing the news: “We got word of the agreement and were overwhelmed with emotion. After nearly two years without sleep or breath, all I’ve wanted as a mother is one thing — to hug Matan again.”
“Now, as that moment approaches, my heart is pounding like it’s a birth — I’m counting breaths until I see him and hear his laughter again at home,” she said. “This is pure joy, simple and fundamental — to be a mother who gets to hug her child again. Thank you to everyone who stood by us. May we soon see Matan at home — and all the others too.”
Einav Zangauker, mother of Matan Zangauker, also arrived at the square overnight. Her daughter Natalie popped a bottle of champagne. After Trump’s announcement, she wrote emotionally on social media: “Matan is coming home. He’s coming back to me, to Natalie and Shani, to Ilana, the love of his life — to all of you, to this country. These are the tears I prayed for.”
At the square, she said, “Thank you to President Trump and everyone who helped bring my son and all the hostages home. I’m afraid to wake up and find out this was all a dream.”
First published: 14:41, 10.09.25