‘Thank you, Trump’ chants erupt in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square after Israel-Hamas peace deal

HOSTAGES SQUARE, TEL AVIV: A massive crowd at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square erupted into chants of “Thank you, Trump!” on Saturday, October 11.

The event was attended by Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Witkoff credited President Donald Trump for brokering a landmark peace agreement between Israel and Hamas.

“To President Donald J Trump, a man who is a humanitarian through and through… who once again proved that bold leadership and moral clarity can reshape history and change the world,” said Witkoff.

“We all owe a debt of deep gratitude to President Trump,” he added.

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner lead emotional ceremony

Standing before an emotional crowd, Witkoff praised Trump’s unwavering resolve to bring both sides to the negotiating table.

He also commended Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and regional Arab leaders for backing the deal, though Netanyahu’s mention drew audible boos from parts of the audience.

“In the worst of times, he refused to accept the idea that peace in the Mid-east was out of reach,” Witkoff said.

He further said, “He brought together nations once divided by generations of conflict and showed us that shared peace is stronger than shared pain.”

He concluded with a message to the hostages, “Your endurance, your faith, your will to live have been symbols of the human spirit that cannot ever be broken.”

Jared Kushner says Israel 'chose to be exceptional’

Kushner, who reportedly played a pivotal role in finalizing the deal, urged restraint and resilience in his speech, noting that he would not celebrate until all the hostages were home.

“Instead of replicating the barbarism of the enemy, you chose to be exceptional,” he told the crowd.

“You chose to stand for your values... and I could not be more proud to be a friend of Israel,” he added.

He also lauded Trump’s “commitment to peace, to seeing hostages return home, and to ensuring Israel’s safety and the Middle East’s stability.”

Ivanka Trump honors the families of the hostages

Ivanka Trump, addressing the families of those still awaiting news, offered a personal message of solidarity and a message from her father.

“Over the last two years, the president, myself, Steve, Jared, and so many others have met these incredible people and I am in awe by their strength and conviction inspite of such suffering,” she said.

“He (President Trump) sees you, he hears you, and he stands with you, always,” she further added.

She described the hostages’ return as a “triumph of faith, of courage, and of our shared humanity.”

As the night drew to a close, chants of “Thank you, Trump!” once again filled Hostages Square as a resounding show of gratitude.