Hundreds of thousands of people descended onto the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday where Donald Trump’s top Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump took to the stage, promising the hostages “are coming home”.
Families of some of the 48 hostages and captives still remaining in Gaza told The Independent they were “holding their breath” as a 72-hour deadline for Hamas to initiate the handover was underway.
At the massive rally there was also fury at Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to secure a deal sooner, with thousands interrupting Mr Witkoff’s speech to boo the Israeli prime minister.
Under the ceasefire deal, first proposed by US president Donald Trump, Hamas militants have until Monday afternoon to begin the release of 20 living hostages and the remains of 28 others.
In exchange, nearly 2,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons will be released – and if the truce holds, the remains of Palestinians held by Israel will also be returned.
Mr Witkoff, Mr Kushner, and Ms Trump visited Israel and even an Israeli base in Gaza on Saturday, in an apparent show of force to shore up the deal. Mr Trump himself is expected to fly to Israel on Monday as the deadline expires, and some sources told The Independent he may even travel to southern Israel to welcome the released personally.
Addressing massive crowds in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, a visibly emotional Mr Witkoff said that he “dreamed of this night – it has been a long journey”. In front of him crowds chanted “bring them home now”, “we want peace” and “thank you Trump”, holding signs emblazoned with Mr Trump’s face, with some calling for him to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
“We are celebrating something extraordinary, a moment many thought was impossible… miracles can happen,” Mr Witkoff said of the deal, adding that the hostages “are coming home”.
He concluded by calling Mr Trump the “greatest president the world has ever seen” to an ecstatic eruption of cheers and applause.
Joining him on stage, Ms Trump and Mr Kushner, who at one point looked tearful, said he would “celebrate on Monday when phase one comes to its conclusion”.
Israel launched an unprecedented bombardment and siege on Gaza in the aftermath of Hamas’s bloody 7 October 2023 attacks on southern Israel where, according to Israeli estimates, more than 1,100 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
In the two years since then, Palestinian health officials say that more than 67,000 people have been killed, including thousands of children. Swathes of Gaza have been razed to the ground; more than 90 per cent of the 2.3 million-strong population has been forced to flee their homes multiple times; and famine has unfolded, according to the UN-backed global hunger monitor.
On Saturday, as the weapons went silent, tens of thousands of Palestinians began the tentative journey to the heavily-destroyed north – only to find, in many areas, whole cities flattened into dust. Aid officials have told The Independent the humanitarian need is unprecedented, and nearly 1,000 trucks of food supplies, medicines, and other essential goods are needed every day.
All are waiting for news of whether the ceasefire holds – after Mr Trump announced a peace deal this week, heralding it as a “momentous breakthrough” that will bring “lasting peace, hopefully an everlasting peace… in the Middle East”.
In the deal, alongside the exchange of hostages, captives and Palestinian detainees, aid will increase. Israeli forces also have withdrawn to the “yellow line”, which still leaves them with more than 50 per cent control of the devastated, besieged strip. The handover of hostages is expected to happen by midday Monday.
But in Israel, families of the hostages fear it will falter in the eleventh hour after going through several ceasefires that have collapsed. Many blame Mr Netanyahu, accusing him of prioritising the war going to satisfy his extreme-right coalition and so retain his political career.
When Mr Witkoff mentioned Mr Netanyahu, the crowds erupted into such loud boos he was forced to interrupt his speech and request they let him finish his sentence.
On the sidelines of the rallies is Rotem Cooper, the son of Amiram, 84, a hostage who died four months into his captivity in Gaza, spoke of the fury that 42 of the 251 hostages have died in captivity as deals were not reached in time.
Amiram was seized from Kibbutz Nir Oz alongside his wife Nurit, who was later released in a deal.
Mr Cooper, who is based in San Diego, spoke of families being on a “rollercoaster” of emotions and “holding their breath”.
“My father was 84. He should have got out of there fairly quickly… It’s not going to be over for us, as we want an investigation,” he told The Independent.
“This achievement, this agreement is not because of the Israeli prime minister. It’s in spite of the Israeli prime minister. And the credit is to the US administration, especially to Trump.”
The echoes of thanks and desperation that the deal not falter were repeated on the stage in Tel Aviv. Yael Sabraigo, niece of Lior Rudaeff, a 61-year-old volunteer medic whose body is being held by Hamas, implored Mr Trump “please don’t stop now”.
“Don’t rest until [the] very very last hostage is back,” she said echoing the desperation in the crowds. “Thank you Trump,” she added.
Additional reporting by Eilon Eisenberg
