Israeli leaders across the political spectrum praised U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday after he announced that Israel and Hamas had signed the first phase of his plan to end the Gaza war and secure the release of the hostages held by the terrorist group.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it “a great day for Israel” and said he would convene his government to approve the agreement. “We will bring all our dear hostages home,” he wrote late Wednesday, thanking Israel’s soldiers “whose bravery and sacrifice brought us to this day” and expressing gratitude to Trump and his team for their “mobilization for the sacred task of releasing our hostages.” Netanyahu added, “God willing, we will continue together in order to achieve all our aims and expand the peace with our neighbours.”
President Isaac Herzog said the entire nation stood with the hostages and their families, quoting a biblical verse: “And children shall return to their own border.” He described the agreement as “a morning of historic and momentous news” and thanked Trump for an accord “bringing an end to the war, and creating hope for a new reality in the Middle East.”
Former defense minister Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White party, also welcomed the deal, saying “the heart of the entire nation is with the 48 families” awaiting their loved ones’ return. “A whole nation awakens to hope and anticipation after two years of hell,” he said Thursday. Gantz thanked Trump for his “tremendous efforts and unwavering commitment” to Israel’s security and credited Netanyahu’s government for adopting the U.S. proposal. But he cautioned that “the task is not yet complete,” urging military and diplomatic preparations to ensure the plan’s full implementation, including disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid praised Trump as well, saying “no one deserves the Nobel Peace Prize more” and thanking Israel’s soldiers, commanders and hostage families for their perseverance. “This is a moment of great light after two dark years,” Lapid said, calling the return of the hostages “a victory for those who never gave up.”
Avigdor Liberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, wrote on X that it was “a morning of hope and great joy,” thanking Trump and all those involved in the deal.
Energy Minister Eli Cohen said the agreement “ensures that Hamas will not take part in governing Gaza” and will be disarmed, while returning all hostages in the first phase. He praised Netanyahu for steering the cabinet “through this historic moment” and thanked Trump as “a great friend of the people of Israel.”
Education Minister Yoav Kisch also expressed gratitude to Netanyahu and Trump, saying, “We will not forget the heroism of our soldiers whose dedication brought us to this moment.”
Transportation Minister Miri Regev wrote that “God willing, all the hostages are coming home — the living and the fallen,” adding thanks to Israeli troops, security forces, Netanyahu, Trump and “the people of Israel who never stopped believing.”
Other coalition figures shared similar sentiments. Minister for the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Yitzhak Wasserlauf said, “Every Jew’s heart skips a beat at the thought of all our hostages returning home.” Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chair Boaz Bismuth wrote simply, “Great excitement! Blessed be God!”
Shas party leader Aryeh Deri quoted a traditional blessing, saying, “Blessed are You who has kept us alive and brought us to this moment.” He thanked Trump, Netanyahu and the IDF for their “steadfastness and dedication,” and expressed hope that “we will see our hostages return home safely, our fallen brought to rest, and all of Israel dwell in peace and unity.”