Friday, October 10, 2025

What You Need to Know:

Two years following Hamas’s inhuman attack on Israel, Jerusalem and the terror group have signed off on the first phase of a peace plan put forth by President Trump that will see a ceasefire and a return of the remaining Israeli hostages. Delegations from Israel and Hamas as well as an international contingent of mediators met in Egypt Thursday to sign off on phase one of the deal, which will see the return of all 48 hostages from Gaza—of whom only about 20 are believed to be alive—and a ceasefire in exchange for a partial withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza and the release of 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners.

Not all of the details are fully worked out, such as which Palestinian prisoners will be released. The finalized deal is set to see the disarming of Hamas, the demilitarization of Gaza and its elimination as a threat to Israel, and the formation of a “technocratic” governing body. However, we are only entering phase one, with phase two reportedly set to go into negotiations the day after all the Israeli hostages are returned. While we celebrate with joy the return of the hostages and a hopeful end to the fighting, we look forward tentatively, as Hamas has a bad track record of upholding its end of deals.

Dig Deeper:

Gaza Ceasefire Takes Effect as Government Approves Deal to Free the Hostages

Clock for Hostage Release Starts Ticking, as Israel Approves First Stage of Deal

What You Need to Know:

Let’s examine the next steps of the peace plan in more detail, especially as it relates to Israel’s security. Both parties signing the agreement, which was finalized Thursday night, will start a timer. Within the first 24 hours, the Israeli military is required to withdraw to a line agreed to by both Israel and Hamas. This line, known as the “yellow line,” will leave the IDF in control of 53% of Gaza, mostly outside of the heavily populated urban areas. The IDF will retain control of a buffer zone along Gaza’s entire boundary, including the border between Gaza and Egypt, known as the Philadelphi Corridor.

Hamas is required to release the remaining hostages within 72 hours—although President Trump said the release will likely not happen until Monday or Tuesday. Israel will in turn release 250 Palestinian security prisoners serving life sentences in addition to 1,700 Palestinians detained by the Israeli military during its military offensive in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 massacre. Israel has maintained that the prisoners released will not include terrorists who participated in the October 7 massacre.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Thursday that Israel hopes to see the full peace plan carried out, noting that Israel does not have any intention to renew the war. Essentially, it’s up to Hamas to hold up their end of the bargain to ensure all remains quiet on the Gaza front.

Dig Deeper:

Trump: ‘We Ended Gaza War,’ the Hostages Are Coming Home. ‘After That, We’ll See’

How Will the newly Agreed-upon Gaza Deal Take Shape over Coming Days? Explainer

What You Need to Know:

As Israel’s war with Hamas appears to be winding down, the nations continue raging against the Jewish state. The frontrunner in the race to become the next president of Ireland, Catherine Connolly, this week condemned her country’s government for “dragging its feet” on passing a new law to impose sanctions on Israeli communities in protest of the war. The Irish government, though ferociously critical of Israel, has reportedly decided to water down the bill after lobbying by US businesses. 

The Spanish parliament on Wednesday passed an arms embargo on Israel, which Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, a vocal anti-Israel critic, said was an attempt to pressure Israel to end the “genocide in Gaza.” Though Spain had already banned buying from or selling weapons to the Jewish state since Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, the new law consolidates a total embargo against Israel. The embargo includes banning all exports of defense equipment, products or technology or imports of the same from Israel. 

On October 22, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is set to issue an advisory opinion on Israel’s legal obligations on the presence of international organizations and third parties, particularly the UN, in eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the Gaza Strip. Such advisory opinions are not legally binding but can affect the Jewish state’s standing in the international arena. Thus far, the court has painted Israel as an illegal occupier of Palestinian territory.

Dig Deeper:

Irish Presidential Frontrunner Pans Government for Seeking to Soften Israel Sanctions

Spanish Parliament Approves Arms Embargo on Israel

ICJ Scheduled to Deliver Advisory Opinion on Israel’s Obligations Regarding Presence of Int’l Orgs

What You Need to Know:

If all goes well, within the next 72 hours, Hamas will turn the living hostages, of whom there are an estimated 20, over to the Red Cross, who will deliver them to the IDF for transport outside of Gaza. They will receive medical and mental health checkups as they finally reunite with their families.  

Eli Sharabi was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Beeri on October 7 and was held hostage in Gaza until his release this past February. Sharabi said he recalls every moment of his captivity in vivid detail in a book on his experience called Hostage. He did not learn until his release that his wife and two daughters were murdered by Hamas. Sharabi bravely explains that his family and friends fought for him, “so I don’t have the privilege to stay in bed all day and cry. The grief and loss will always be a part of me until the day I die, but it will be in spite of life, not instead of life.”

Naomi Chaimov was a young wife and mother of two toddlers on October 7 when her husband, Aharon, an ambulance driver, was murdered while driving his ambulance to a nearby community to help. Chaimov worked through her pain for a year and a half until she was introduced by her sister-in-law to Avner Yosefi, who is now her fiancé. There are an estimated 400 widows from October 7 just like Chaimov who have had to cope with loss and death. Some 10 of those widows have since remarried, according to the Jerusalem Report.

Dig Deeper:

From Hamas to Red Cross to IDF in Gaza: How Hostage Releases Will be Handled

Hospitals Gear up to Receive Returning Hostages

Eli Sharabi’s 491 Days as a Hamas Hostage: The Darkest Moments Revealed

A Widow of October 7, 2023 Finds Love again

As Israel rightfully focuses on the war with Hamas and the hostages and victims of the terrible attack on October 7, 2023, several of the Jewish state’s vulnerable communities are struggling, particularly at-risk children.

Organizations working with Israel’s at-risk children are reporting a nearly 40% decrease in donations, according to the Jerusalem Report, as attention and resources are naturally being diverted to those directly affected by the war. The drop in funding could lead to cutbacks or the end of programs and welfare not only for at-risk youth, but also for low-income families, Holocaust survivors and elderly people living alone, and people with disabilities. As defense costs rise, Israel’s Ministry of Welfare is expected to face an annual drop in NIS 100 million (USD 30.6 billion) plus 5% spending across the board.

The problem of at-risk children could continue growing, contributing to larger problems in the future that would include more youths dropping out of school, being removed from their homes where they live in bad situations and more reliance on welfare programs and mental health treatment over time. 

At Bridges for Peace, our heart is to reach out in love and practical blessing for Israel’s needy and at-risk communities, including children from families living in poverty. Consider donating to one of our projects for Israelis in need or even sponsoring an Israeli child. And please join us in prayer for the at-risk populations in Israel, that they will not fall through the cracks or be forgotten.

Dig Deeper:

The Overlooked Victims: Israel’s Vulnerable Populations Struggle…

The War Has Increased the Number of At-risk Youth in Israel

What You Need to Know:

On the second anniversary of the October 7 attack, in cities across the world, including Athens, Geneva, Istanbul, London, Paris, Stockholm, Sydney, Thessaloniki and Tokyo, anti-Israel protesters gathered for rallies, despite politicians from multiple countries condemning the timing as “shockingly insensitive.”

Protesters outside King’s College in London chanted “Israel is a terrorist state.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said holding the protests on the anniversary of the October 7 atrocities was “a despicable excuse to attack British Jews for something over which they have absolutely no responsibility.”

Meanwhile, data from the UK interior ministry showed that its Jewish population in England and Wales suffered the highest rate of religious hate crimes in the past year, with a total of 2,873 recorded religious hate crimes, or 106 crimes per 10,000 Jewish people.

Down Under, the words “Oct 7, do it again” were painted on a store in Melbourne, Australia, and the Stand for Palestine Australia group planned a “Glory to Our Martyrs” event in Sydney on Tuesday.

Dig Deeper:

Planned Anti-Israel Protests on Oct. 7 Anniversary Draw Criticism

“Glory to Hamas”: Pro-Hamas, Pro-Oct.7 Graffiti Sprayed across Australia…

Anti-Israel Protests Held Worldwide on Second Anniversary of Hamas Attack

What You Need to Know:

What a sudden surge of good news from the Promised Land! After the news broke that the remaining hostages would be returned as soon as this weekend, Hostages Square in Tel Aviv filled with people cheering, waving Israeli flags and American flags in honor of President Trump. After two long years in captivity and darkness, the remaining hostages will finally be released into freedom and light in answer to countless, fervent prayers from around the world.

The news of the peace deal came around the same time as the first rain in Israel for the year. Israel is currently celebrating the holiday of Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, and this is traditionally the time of year when Israel receives the first rain of the season. And in Israel—or anywhere in the Middle East—rain is received with joy as a wonderful blessing. What a blessing that it came at the same time as the news of the hostages returning home.

On the eve of Sukkot, Israeli President Isaac Herzog hosted an international delegation of 70 evangelical leaders in which he thanked President Trump for his efforts to end the war and negotiate the release of the hostages. Herzog thanked the delegation for standing with the Jewish state, calling them “true ambassadors of Israel.” At the end of the event, they prayed together and the delegation sang the worship song “Amen” with the Aaronic blessing. What a blessing it was to watch a group of international Christians and the president of the Jewish state worship and pray together.

Dig Deeper:

Singing, Cheering, Anticipation Mix at Hostages Square after Deal to Free Captives

Rain, Cooler Weather Sweep across Israel ahead of Weekend Warmup

Herzog to Evangelical Influencers: “Israel Is Fighting for the Entire Free World”