What a great day today is for Israel, for the renewed power of American diplomacy, and mostly for Hamas’ remaining 20 living Israeli hostages — freed today after a two-year ordeal that few could even imagine.
“The hostages are back. The hostages are back,” President Donald Trump told the Israeli Knesset this morning to thunderous and lengthy applause. “Isn’t that nice? First time I said the hostages are back. It feels so good to say it!”
“Today the skies are calm, the guns are silent,” Trump continued. “The sirens are still, and the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace, a land and region that will live, God willing, in peace for all eternity.”
Trump and his team negotiated a 20-point plan, and what you see today is Phase 1 taking hold, focusing on a ceasefire, a partial withdrawal of Israeli Defense Forces from parts of the Gaza Strip, and, at long last, freedom for those 20 hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023.
Getting Phase 1 in place was touch-and-go there for a while, but the hostages are free and home.
I don’t expect you to remember their names, but here they are.
🚨🎗️ These are the young men FREED due to President Trump’s magnificent work and IDF’s Operation “Returning Home.
Eitan Mor, Alon Ohel, Ziv Berman, Gali Berman, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Omri Miran, Matan Angrest, Matan Zangauker, Maxim Herkin, Segev Kalfon, Yosef-Chaim Ohana, Nimrod… pic.twitter.com/0B0xsKsmRh
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 13, 2025
In return, Israel must release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of the exchange. That part grates on the soul, but it’s a testament to Jerusalem’s love and respect for life that they’ll trade 100-to-one to get their people back.
Have no doubt: this was Trump’s deal. So much so that Townhall’s own Katie Pavlich reported today that Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu nominated Trump for his country’s top honor, the Israel Prize — the first non-Israeli ever.
Getting Phase 2 and Phase 3 working won’t be easy, either, and that’s why Trump now travels to Egypt for the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit, hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
MSNBC’s Katy Tur was at an absolute loss, trying to pin the hostage release on… nobody trusting Trump? Seriously, she’s unhinged.
Katy Tur on MSNBC: What makes Trump so different? I’ve been trying to figure it out. pic.twitter.com/mZz80IIZdE
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 13, 2025
For his part, Trump seems to take it all in that odd combination of pride and stride that is uniquely his.
Watch him address the Israeli Knesset earlier today before departing for Egypt:
🚨 JUST IN: President Trump takes a VICTORY LAP on Hillary Clinton at the Israeli Knesset
“Everyone thought I was going to be brutal. I remember Hillary Clinton during a debate, ‘look at him, look at him. He’s going to go to war with everybody!’ And actually, she said, ‘he’s got… pic.twitter.com/jF4Wi4GVlH
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 13, 2025
So today we got to witness the release of 20 hostages, the suspension of a brutal urban warfare campaign, and one more perfectly placed swipe at the Biggest Bitterest Loser in Democrat history, Hillary Clinton. Or as I like to think of her, She-Who-Will-Not-Be-Pres.
Smile. It’s a great day.
CNN’s Scott Jennings summed it up for that network’s shrinking core of (presumably ungrateful) viewers:
.@ScottJenningsKY: This is a WIN for AMERICA!!🇺🇸
“It’s a win for the United States of America. This is what it looks like when you have an engaged, strong, American president, willing to get involved on the world stage…This is transcending politics.”pic.twitter.com/xLtSSiZ4pX
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 13, 2025
It really is a great day — but maybe not such a great deal for peace.
Rather than disarm, Hamas now takes the fight to its fellow Gaza Arabs.
BREAKING:
Hamas has now start fighting against Gazan clans that oppose their rule.
The fighting is taking place in the areas where the Israeli Army has withdrawn from ahead of the hostage release.
There’s a civil war in Gaza pic.twitter.com/BlTant9HrE
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 12, 2025
Beaten on the battlefield, Hamas seeks to reassert control over areas of Gaza where the IDF has withdrawn.
Should Hamas thwart Phase 2 and 3 of Trump’s peace plan — which deal with the future governance of Gaza and de-radicalizing the local Muslims — today will still be remembered as a great day for Israel, America, and those 20 hostages. But it won’t be remembered for establishing a lasting peace.
It will be remembered, however, and fondly.
Recommended: Watch Spanberger’s Super-Cringeworthy Semi-Demi-Backpedal
It took a [checks notes] warmonger like [checks notes again] Donald Trump to [furiously rechecks notes] to secure the release of the final 20 hostages, and to give the Middle East a real [what is with these notes???] a chance at peace.
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