In South Florida, Israeli hostage release is a moment of hope | Opinion
After two agonizing years, it finally happened. The Israeli hostages have been returned. The Gaza ceasefire deal brokered by the Trump administration held, and all 20 living hostages held by Hamas were released to Israel Monday.
For South Florida, with one of the largest Jewish population centers in the country, it was a day of happiness and excitement, tempered by the pain of what has come before and questions about the future of the truce.
“It’s been two years of, you know, anguish and pain and suffering,” Rabbi Yossi Harlig, of the Chabad of Kendall/Pinecrest, told Local 10 News.
As U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz Balart, who has consistently called for released of the hostages, wrote on X: “After two excruciating years marked by depravity, horror and unimaginable pain, 20 living hostages have finally been released from Hamas terrorist captivity and reunited with their loved ones.”
It has been 736 days since the devastating Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas. Monday was a critical day for the breakthrough deal, in which Israel released more than 1,900 Palestinian detainees. Hamas has also said it would return the bodies of four of 28 deceased captives, though it was unclear when that would happen. The bodies of those who died must be returned immediately; there can be no delay.
Humanitarian food organizations were gearing up to send large amounts of food into Gaza, along with other aid. That’s critical, with reports of famine devastating Gaza City. Under the ceasefire agreement, some 600 trucks of aid will be entering soon, the Associated Press wrote.
President Trump made a quick trip to the region, first to Israel where he addressed the parliament to repeated applause, and then to Egypt to discuss what happens next in the ceasefire plan. During the trip, Trump thanked his team, including Miami’s own Marco Rubio — Trump said he’d go down in history as “the greatest secretary of state in the history of the United States.”
World leaders hailed the progress, including United Nations Secretary General António Guterres: “I urge all parties to build on this momentum and to honour their commitments under the ceasefire to end the nightmare in Gaza.”
The war in the Middle East has had an enormous impact on U.S. politics, first for former President Joe Biden and now for Trump. About 1,200 Israelis were killed in the Oct. 7 attacks. About 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
It’s far too early to say that there could be a real end to the death and suffering in the region. There are still many open questions on how to move forward, including incredibly complicated issues such as Gaza’s post-war governance, Israel’s demand that Hamas disarm and the issue of a potential Palestinian state.
But this is progress. It’s a step forward on one of the toughest problems facing the world today. And it’s hope. For today, we’ll take it.
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This story was originally published October 13, 2025 at 2:41 PM.