Living Israeli hostages freed from Gaza, Trump addresses Knesset after historic peace deal

Anti-Hamas militias and clans are emerging across the Gaza Strip. The Times of Israel reported on Saturday that Hussam al-Astal, leader of a militia fighting Hamas in the Khan Younis area, told the outlet, “We will fight Hamas until it is finished, not us. We are here and we are not moving.”

Fox News Digital reported last week that the al-Mujaida clan in southern Gaza repelled a Hamas assault by roughly 50 militants aboard five pickup trucks armed with heavy weapons, including a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

Building on these developments, there may be as many as 10 anti-Hamas militias operating across Gaza. Three of those groups have endorsed former President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan: Ashraf al-Mansi, leader of the Popular Northern Forces; Rami Hillis, leader of the Popular Defense Forces; and Yasser Abu Shabab, head of the Popular Forces militia in Rafah. The key question now is whether the United States and other nations will support the growing number of anti-Hamas militias.

The two largest groups operating inside Gaza, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), have coordinated their actions during the events of Oct. 7, 2023 and subsequent conflict.

After being elected into power in 2007, the U.S. designated Foreign Terror Organization Hamas has maintained control in Gaza, enforcing its version of Islamic law. External support from Iran and other rogue states has enabled Hamas to construct tunnels beneath population centers and launch missiles and rockets into Israel.

PIJ, the smaller of the two groups, also a U.S. designated terrorist group, primarily focuses on terrorist activities. The group has reportedly collaborated with Hamas to shape narratives about the post-Oct. 7 conflict. A member of PIJ’s political bureau stated that the groups have operated out of Gazan hospitals during the conflict.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, another terrorist organization, acts as a smaller militant ally of Hamas and PIJ. The Times of Israel reported in December 2023 that the PFLP may have controlled hostages Shiri Bibas and her sons Ariel and Kfir, who were ultimately killed during captivity.

In a post on X, former Vice President Kamala Harris highlighted the release of 20 Israeli hostages and the arrival of humanitarian aid in Gaza, calling the agreement “an important first step toward a more hopeful future” and thanking “the president and his team” for their efforts.

“I am thankful and deeply encouraged that this cease-fire has brought long-awaited moments of joy and reunion — as 20 Israeli hostages are finally reunited with their loved ones and Palestinian families and the people of Gaza begin to receive desperately needed relief from unimaginable suffering,” Harris wrote.

She added that “there is still much more work to do to secure a lasting peace, ensure the safety and dignity of every innocent life, and build a future where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in freedom and security.”

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) condemned the Israel-Hamas ceasefire announced this week as a temporary pause in what it called Israel’s “genocide” and “occupation” of Palestinian lands, vowing to continue organizing boycotts and sanctions until full Palestinian liberation is achieved.

“Earlier this week the Palestinian resistance announced that a ceasefire agreement has been reached and would entail the end of this intensified stage of the genocide. This will not end Israel’s assault on the Palestinian people or the theft and occupation of Palestinian lands,” the DSA said in a published statement on Monday. “A conditional ceasefire agreement does not wash the hands of the ruling class that touted their legal obligation to intervene and instead, continued to fuel and arm genocide while stoking regional war.”

The group said it acknowledges and welcomes relief being provided to Palestinians under the agreement, as well as the “cessation” of Israeli military operations, noting that every life saved is “precious.”

DSA also said it sends the “strongest solidarity” to those in Palestine who have lost a great deal, encouraging them to take a moment to rest and grieve.

“However, DSA harbors no illusions that Israel will honor any negotiated agreement that preserves Palestinian life or self-determination. Past ceasefires only slowed the carnage, and Israel continued military action with impunity,” DSA said. “The future of Gaza continues to be negotiated, not self determined. The Occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, eroding under illegal settler expansion, continue to struggle under violent Israeli apartheid and occupation.

“Across the region, Israel terrorizes the people of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Qatar, and Iran while wielding the implicit threat of nuclear engagement to violently impose its fascist, expansionist aspirations,” the group continued. “The long sought after stability in the region is dependent on Israel and its allies finally being held accountable for their decades long list of war crimes and imperial aggression. Until then, there can be no long lasting peace.”

It also noted that the DSA’s role is to end U.S. complicity in Israel’s “genocide and apartheid at every level.”

“That’s why DSA is organizing Labor for an Arms Embargo and pushing to join the movement bursting forth in the Mediterranean and Europe to disrupt the supply chain of endless death,” DSA said. “To that end, we commit to further strengthening the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions picket line by organizing the masses into campaigns like Stop Fueling Genocide!, Mask Off Maersk, and No Appetite for Apartheid while working in coalition to effectively isolate Israel economically, culturally, and academically.

“We will break the gears of the US imperial war machine that enables Israel and halt the flow of arms and oil to ensure our comrades may resist their oppression, cast off the occupation and with dignity, freely self-determine their future,” it added.

A key litmus test for the success of President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan will entail the disarming of Hamas terrorists. Yet the raison d'être for Hamas’ existence is to wage a terrorist campaign against Israel. Hamas agreed to give up its weapons, including rockets, as part of the agreement. However, a senior Hamas official on Saturday told AFP that it rejected Trump’s demand that it decommission its weapons.

Despite these stipulations, Hamas officials said disarming Hamas is “out of the question.” On Friday, its spokesman Basem Naim told Sky News that Hamas will not disarm and will remain “on the ground.” Furthermore, the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad remains wedded to the armed destruction of the Jewish state.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Friday, “Hamas will be disarmed, and Gaza will be demilitarized. If this is achieved in the easy way – it's all for the better. And if not – it will be achieved the hard way.” The hard way, for Israel, means Israel Defense Forces targeting armed Hamas terrorists for elimination if they refuse to surrender.

For almost 4,000 years, different powers have ruled Gaza, causing people to be displaced and live in poverty and fear.

Destruction and rebuilding in Gaza date back to the biblical narrative of Samson. Over the centuries, the land was conquered by the Egyptians, Babylonians and Persians. In the 1500s, Gaza became a military stronghold for the Ottoman Empire, and later, in 1799, it was briefly conquered by Napoleon.

When the British gained control of Gaza in 1917, violent struggles broke out between Jews and Arabs. Later, after Israeli independence in 1948, Arab refugees fled to Gaza, faced poverty, and lived under Egyptian rule without achieving citizenship.

After Israel took over Gaza in the 1967 Six-Day War, enmity between Israelis and Palestinians increased. The First and Second Intifada occurred before and after the Palestinian Authority gained control of Gaza in the 1990s. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. In 2007, Hamas was elected, leading to a brutal crackdown against opponents and new and more lethal attacks on Israel.

President Donald Trump celebrated "peace in the Middle East" after he signed the historic peace agreement that ended two years of fighting in Gaza. 

"At long last, we have peace in the Middle East, and it's a very simple expression, peace in the Middle East," Trump said during remarks at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, flanked by dozens of world leaders. 

"We've heard it for many years, but nobody thought it could ever get there. And now we're there." 

Read the full article about President Trump by Morgan Phillips

President Donald Trump’s emerging Gaza peace framework is generating both optimism and caution among regional analysts. While the plan could reshape Middle East dynamics, experts warn it may amount to little more than a temporary ceasefire unless Hamas is fully disarmed and stripped of power.

Dr. Michael Milshtein, head of the Moshe Dayan Forum at Tel Aviv University, said Hamas will never truly accept disarmament or foreign oversight, comparing its likely role to Hezbollah’s hidden influence in Lebanon. An Arab source familiar with the talks told Fox News Digital that Hamas might agree to disarm only if it trusts Prime Minister Netanyahu not to resume fighting or target its leaders afterward.

Ghaith al-Omari of the Washington Institute credited Trump with rallying regional powers, noting Turkey’s key leverage as both host and ideological model for Hamas. Yet he warned of growing rifts, as Egypt and the UAE appear hesitant to back full disarmament.

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said peace depends on Hamas’ total surrender, while former Israeli intelligence chief Tamir Heiman predicted Israel may need to maintain a buffer zone—ensuring “managed security,” not lasting peace.

This is an excerpt of an article by Efrat Lachter

Historian and former speechwriter for former President Joe Biden, Jon Meacham, praised President Donald Trump on Monday for securing a peace deal between Israel and Hamas.

While appearing on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe," Meacham called the peace deal — which has secured an end to the war and the return of the remaining hostages held by Hamas — a win for Trump.

"This is a victory for President Trump," he said.

This is an excerpt of an article from Gabriel Hays

The two names mentioned in President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to be included in a new international transitional body called the Board of Peace are Trump as the chair and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Building on this, Trump recognized Blair’s Middle East expertise when he invited him to participate in a policy meeting in late August on postwar Gaza.

Blair is well-versed in the power politics of Palestinian and Israeli affairs, a knowledge gained via his role from 2007 to 2015 as special Middle East envoy for the Quartet — the U.N., EU, U.S. and Russia — which sought to mediate a peace agreement.

Despite this experience, Hamas opposes Blair’s role in the Board of Peace. Basem Naim, a senior Hamas spokesman, told Sky News that, “When it comes to Tony Blair, unfortunately, we Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims, and maybe others around the world, have bad memories of him. We can still remember his role in killing, causing thousands or millions of deaths to innocent civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

This opposition partly arises from Blair’s subsequent support for the U.S. war against al Qaeda, the Taliban and Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

The White House issued a "Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity" memorandum on Monday evening.

The document was signed by President Donald Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The declaration begins by welcoming "the truly historic commitment and implementation by all parties to the Trump Peace Agreement, ending more than two years of profound suffering and loss — opening a new chapter for the region defined by hope, security, and a shared vision for peace and prosperity."

"We understand that lasting peace will be one in which both Palestinians and Israelis can prosper with their fundamental human rights protected, their security guaranteed, and their dignity upheld," the document continues. "We affirm that meaningful progress emerges through cooperation and sustained dialogue, and that strengthening bonds among nations and peoples serves the enduring interests of regional and global peace and stability."

"We recognize the deep historical and spiritual significance of this region to the faith communities whose roots are intertwined with the land of the region — Christianity, Islam, and Judaism among them.  Respect for these sacred connections and the protection of their heritage sites shall remain paramount in our commitment to peaceful coexistence."

ABC's "The View" lauded the safe return of Israeli hostages on Monday, with co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin praising her former boss Donald Trump and his administration's key role in the historic moment.

If this deal holds, Griffin said, it is a "massive diplomatic achievement."

"The whole world can breathe a sigh of relief," she said. Earlier, co-host Whoopi Goldberg played clips of celebrations of the current peace in the war-torn area, saying, "we can all pray that it stays that way."

This is an excerpt of an article from David Rutz

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani condemned U.S. support of Israel on Monday in an X post about tax dollars "fund[ing] genocide."

"Today’s scenes of Israelis and Palestinians are profoundly moving: Israeli hostages being freed and families reunited after years of fear, uncertainty, and torture; the first days in Gaza without relentless Israeli bombardment of Palestinians as families return to rubble and loved ones freed from detention," wrote Mamdani.

The Democrat added that there was a "glimmer of hope" about the ceasefire holding, which would bring "solace to millions of New Yorkers, who’ve felt the pain of the past few years."

"We have watched as our tax dollars have funded a genocide," Mamdani added. "The moral and human cost will be a lasting stain and requires accountability and real examination of our collective conscience and our government’s policies."

President Donald Trump was praised on Monday by members of the media after securing a peace deal between Hamas and Israel as all 20 living Israeli hostages were released from Hamas captivity. 

Former CNN journalist Chris Cillizza said people who weren't giving Trump credit for the peace deal were "blind."

Former President Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday that the president deserved credit.

 "Of course he does. And I give credit to President Trump, I give credit to [Steve] Witkoff and [Jared] Kushner and [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio. These are hard jobs. The president of the United States is the hardest job in the world, and these other jobs, including the job I occupied, are tremendously difficult," Sullivan responded.

This is an excerpt from an article by Hanna Panreck

White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was photographed Saturday visiting an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) base in the northern Gaza Strip as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appeared to be holding for a second day.

The image was obtained exclusively by Fox News. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) leader Adm. Brad Cooper accompanied Witkoff during the visit to the facility.

Thousands of Palestinians were seen returning to their homes in the Gaza Strip Saturday. One image showed a massive column of people moving north along the territory’s coastline, by vehicle and on foot. 

Read the full article about Steve Witkoff by Greg Norman and James Levinson

On Aug. 22, the famine warning group Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) predicted famine in Gaza Governorate and warned two other governorates could be affected by Sept. 30. Some experts, however, question whether famine conditions were ever actually met in Gaza.

According to data from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, 187 Gazans died of malnutrition or related diseases between Aug. 22 and Oct. 7. While lamenting these deaths, David Adesnik, vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that the number was far lower than the figure required to meet the IPC definition of famine.

Adesnik further explained that the IPC forecast a major worsening of the food security situation, which would typically be accompanied by substantially higher commodity prices—yet this did not occur.

Contrary to expectations, the World Food Programmme’s Palestine Market Monitor found that, from late August to the third week of September, prices for about two-thirds of food and nonfood items in three Gazan governorates either decreased or remained the same.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) praised the Trump administration on Monday for helping secure a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

“Today is a wonderful day. Finally, finally, finally, the last living hostages brutally held by Hamas are home, an immense and overwhelming sigh of relief," said Schumer. “I commend the enormous advocacy of the tireless hostage families, President Trump, his administration, and all who helped make this moment happen"

Schumer added that he still "solemnly reaffirm[s]" his commitment to bringing his deceased constituents Omer Neutra and Itay Chen home, who died in captivity.

"There is an enormous opportunity ahead for a long term and lasting peace," the Democrat added. "It is with utmost importance that every party involved pursue the opportunity to finally build a lasting peace ultimately through a realized two-state solution that ensures security, prosperity, and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

Former President Bill Clinton, who brokered the unsuccessful Camp David Summit in July 2000, commended President Donald Trump's ceasefire efforts in an X post on Monday.

"I’m grateful that a ceasefire has taken hold, that the last 20 living hostages have been freed, and that desperately needed aid has begun to flow into Gaza," Clinton's statement read.

"President Trump and his administration, Qatar, and other regional actors deserve great credit for keeping everyone engaged until the agreement was reached."

The former president added that Israel and Hamas "must try to turn this fragile moment into lasting peace that provides for the dignity and security of both Palestinians and Israelis."

"I believe that they can get there, but only if they do it together," Clinton concluded.