On Saturday (October 11), thousands of Israelis gathered at Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, waiting for the hostages to be released. US President Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law Jared Kushner gave speeches at Hostage Square.
Israel and Hamas signed the first-stage agreement of Trump’s Gaza peace plan on Thursday (October 9). At noon on Friday, the Israeli army withdrew to the Yellow Line specified in the first-stage agreement, entering a 72-hour period for the release of hostages. This means that Hamas must release all hostages by noon on Monday (October 13).
The Israeli hostage coordinator informed families of the hostages via text message on Saturday evening that the release of hostages “will begin on Monday morning.”
Israeli hospitals have been prepared to receive the hostages, and Prime Minister Netanyahu visited a central hospital that is ready to accept the hostages.
President Trump is expected to arrive in Israel next Monday, where he will address the Israeli parliament. He will then visit Egypt and hold a summit with several international leaders.
Trump’s Middle East envoy Witkoff said, “I have dreamt of this night for a long time. It is a deeply moving scene.” He estimated that there were over 100,000 people in Hostage Square.
“We are standing here, proving vividly that when courage meets belief, miracles happen. This peace does not come from politics, but from courage, from the courage of those who refuse to give up hope,” he said.
Ivanka, speaking on behalf of her father, President Trump, said, “The President wants me to share with you, as he has personally shared with many of you, that he sees you, he hears your voices, and he stands with you forever and always.”
“The return of each hostage is not just a moment of coming home and relief, it is a victory of faith, courage, and our shared humanity,” she said. “We pray that many are working to ensure that the following week will be a healing week for all of you.”
Kushner said, “We will not celebrate tonight. We will celebrate on Monday.”
“Seeing the performance of the State of Israel and its people in this painful, unimaginable, and dreadful experience tonight, I am immensely proud. You did not replicate the enemy’s barbaric acts; you chose to be different. You chose to defend the values you hold,” Kushner said.
He also said that he fully believes that from this trauma will emerge unprecedented achievements, impact on the world, and leadership for Israel.
“I just want to thank the outstanding generals of the Israel Defense Forces. Without their courage, wisdom, and bravery, this agreement would not have been possible,” he said.
In a statement, the Israeli military said that on Saturday, Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Eyal Zamir, visited Gaza with US Middle East envoy Witkoff, CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper, Trump’s son-in-law Kushner, and other Israeli generals. A video released by the Israeli military showed Zamir, Witkoff, and Kushner at a base, listening to assessments by Israeli officers.
CENTCOM Commander Cooper stated in a release that his visit to Gaza was to promote the establishment of a Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) led by CENTCOM, which will coordinate activities to support stability after the Israel-Hamas conflict. He clarified that the US military would not be deployed in Gaza.
He said that US troops are responding to the call to “support the Commander-in-Chief’s (Trump’s) instructions for peace in the Middle East at this historic moment.” Cooper added, “This great effort will be achieved without US troops entering Gaza.”
The Israeli Defense Forces stated, “As part of ongoing coordination efforts, the IDF will maintain continuous contact with CENTCOM to plan and implement the agreement (referring to the ceasefire and hostage release agreement) to ensure the ongoing security of the State of Israel.”
“This meeting further strengthens the close strategic and operational relationship between the Israel Defense Forces and the US military,” the statement said.