Palestinians and the families of Israeli hostages erupted in wild celebrations Thursday after news of the deal between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza and return all Israeli hostages, both dead and alive, home.
In Gaza, where most of the more than 2 million residents have been displaced by Israeli bombing, young people cheered in the devastated streets, even as Israeli attacks continued in some parts of the enclave.
“Thank God for the ceasefire, the end of bloodshed and killing,” Abdul Mad Abd Rabbo said in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.
“I’m not the only one happy, the entire Gaza Strip is happy, all the Arab people, everyone is happy with the ceasefire and the end of bloodshed. Thank you and all the love to those who were with us.”
In Tel Aviv’s so-called Hostage Square, where families of those kidnapped in the Hamas attack that sparked the war two years ago have gathered to demand the return of their loved ones, Einav Zaugauker, the mother of a hostage, was elated. “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, I can’t explain what I feel (…). It’s crazy,” he said, speaking under the red glow of a celebratory sparkler.
“What will I tell him? What? Hug him and kiss him,” he added, referring to his son Matan. “Just telling him that I love him, that’s all. And seeing his eyes staring into mine… It’s overwhelming, this is relief.”
Israel and Hamas agreed on the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan for the Palestinian enclave, a ceasefire and hostage deal that could pave the way to ending a bloody two-year war that has roiled the Middle East.
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Celebrations in Gaza and Israel for the agreement to end two years of war
“I have no words to describe it,” said former hostage Omer Shem-tov, when asked what he felt at that moment.
Just a day after the second anniversary of the cross-border attack by Hamas militants that triggered Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza, indirect talks in Egypt led to an agreement on the initial phase of Trump’s 20-point framework for peace.
In Gaza, circles of young people applauded the news in the streets, one of them applauding as he was hoisted on the shoulders of a friend.
“These are moments that Palestinian citizens have been waiting for after two years of massacres and genocide,” said Aled Shaat, a Palestinian from the city of Khan Younis.
If approved in full, the deal will bring both sides closer than any previous effort to stop a regional war that has drawn in neighbors including Iran, Lebanon and Yemen, deepened Israel’s international isolation and changed the Middle East.
Gaza authorities say more than 67,000 people have been killed and much of the enclave devastated since Israel began its military response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
About 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage in Gaza, according to Israeli authorities; 20 of the 48 hostages still held are believed to be alive.
With information from Reuters.
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