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Jewish, Pro-Israel Organizations Have Mixed Reactions to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal
Israelis protest against the government and to show support for the hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Nov. 30, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Jewish and pro-Israel organizations reacted to the ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday to halt fighting in Gaza, expressing both joy that hostages will be released and concern that it could leave Hamas in power and release thousands of terrorists from Israeli jails.
The deal comes after 15 months of fighting between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization, which rules the Gaza Strip. The war started when Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages during its invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. In response, Israel launched a military campaign aimed at returning the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in Gaza.
While there have been final obstacles to be ironed out, Israeli officials said on Thursday that the ceasefire and hostage-release deal will be implemented this weekend.
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) wrote in a statement that it “welcomes the first stage of an agreement that will facilitate the release of 33 of the remaining hostages brutally abducted from Israel during Hamas’ attack.”
“While we await the final announcement from the Israeli government, AJC is grateful to the Biden administration, the incoming Trump Administration, and other global partners for working together to secure the first stage of the agreement,” said AJC CEO Ted Deutch. “We cannot wait to see the first hostages come home to their families, but the critical work to free every hostage — regardless of age, gender, or nationality — must continue. The international community must persist in its efforts to ensure that every hostage is reunited with their loved ones.”
Both the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) and Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) celebrated the news, although the former attributed the agreement to US President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and the latter gave credit to incoming US President Donald Trump, a Republican who is set to be inaugurated on Monday.
“Since Oct. 7, 2023, we have shared in the anguish of the hostage families as they awaited the return of their loved ones held in Gaza by Hamas,” JDCA’s chief executive, Halie Soifer, and chair, Susie Stern, said in a statement. “Today, we are relieved and hopeful that the hostages will soon be reunited with their loved ones, and … we also stand with the families whose loved ones are still being held in Gaza, mourn those lost at the hands of Hamas, and will not rest until every hostage is returned.”
Soifer and Stern continued, writing, “We thank President Biden, Vice President [Kamala] Harris, and their team for their determined and enduring leadership and support of Israel and for their commitment to ensuring the hostages’ release.” They also urged the incoming Trump administration to “follow through on the measurable progress made by President Biden to end the war in Gaza and ensure that all parties honor their commitments.”
Meanwhile, the RJC said it “cautiously welcomes news that a ceasefire agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas that will bring the release of hostages.”
It explained, “The excruciatingly difficult calculations for Israel around getting the hostages back, releasing terrorist prisoners, and other potential details of a ceasefire agreement are matters best left to the Israeli government.”
RCJ thanked “President-elect Donald Trump and his team for helping to move this process forward and for their unwavering support for Israel’s security” and argued that Trump’s promise there will be “hell to pay” if Hamas does not release the hostages by his inauguration “clearly had a significant impact on closing the gaps to reach this deal.”
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) wrote in a statement that it welcomes “the announcement of the deal to release the hostages who have been brutally held captive by Hamas in violation of both international law and basic humanity.”
“We are grateful these hostages are coming home, yet it is unconscionable that all those held by the terrorists have not yet been released, including US citizens,” AIPAC continued. “American and world leaders must increase the pressure on Hamas and its allies to ensure the terror group adheres to this deal and finally releases all the remaining hostages.”
On the other side, the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) opposed the deal, saying it was “appalled at recent reports regarding a final draft hostage deal’s alleged terms.”
It argued that “the reported final draft deal would be a huge mistake. It would mean that many more innocent Jews will be murdered and kidnapped by these released terrorists. It would mean more October 7ths. It would be an Israeli surrender, and a victory for the Hamas and Palestinian Authority terrorists.”
Jewish religious denominations also reacted to the deal. The Orthodox Union, in a statement titled “Mixed Emotions,” said, “We rejoice with the hostages who are being released, and we weep with those remaining in the hands of the Hamas monsters …We rejoice with the soldiers able to return to their families, homes, and daily lives, and we weep for those who will not.”
It continued, “We rejoice with those whose heroic sacrifices have brought Israel outstanding successes, and we share the frustration of many of them that their mission remains incomplete … We are infuriated by the trading of monstrous terrorists for innocent hostages, and we are fearful of the evil those monsters seek to unleash.”
The statement concluded, “We are grateful to President Trump for moving quickly to bring freedom to many, but we will not forget for even a moment the many who remain. There should still be hell to pay.”
The Union for Reform Judaism approached the deal with more optimism. It wrote, “Today is a moment we have prayed to see for more than 15 months. We welcome today’s news of a ceasefire and hostage agreement with bittersweet joy: with open arms to embrace and welcome home the hostages, with hearts filled with deep appreciation for all those who made this ceasefire possible, and with heartfelt prayers that, from the ashes of this enormous tragedy, a process might finally emerge that leads to true and lasting peace with security for all.”
It emphasized the Jewish imperative to redeem captives and added that “to prevent further suffering and death of additional IDF soldiers, hostages, and innocent Gazans — now is the time for those who have consistently blocked this agreement, especially Hamas, to steadfastly uphold this accord.”
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3rd Round of Nuclear Talks Between Iran, US Concludes in Oman
Atomic symbol and USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, September 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
i24 News – The third round of talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program has concluded on Saturday, US media reported.
The two sides are understood to have discussed the US lifting of sanctions on Iran, with focuses on technical and key topics including uranium enrichment.
On April 12, the US and Iran held indirect talks in Muscat, marking the first official negotiation between the two sides since the US unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 during President Donald Trump’s first term.
The second round of indirect talks took place in Rome, Italy, on April 19.
All parties, including Oman, stated that the first two rounds of talks were friendly and constructive, but Iranian media pointed out that the first two rounds were mainly framework negotiations and had not yet touched upon the core issues of disagreement.
According to media reports, one of the key issues in the expert-level negotiations will be whether Washington will allow Iran to continue uranium enrichment within the framework of its nuclear program. In response, Araghchi made it clear that Iran’s right to uranium enrichment is non-negotiable.
The US, Israel and other Western actors including the United Nation’s nuclear agency reject Iranian claims that its uranium enrichment is strictly civilian in its goals.
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Hamas Says It’s Open to 5-Year Gaza Truce, One-Time Release of All Hostages
Demonstrators hold signs and pictures of hostages, as relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas protest demanding the release of all hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel, Feb. 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Itai Ron
i24 News – The Palestinian jihadists of Hamas said they were willing to secure an agreement with Israel that that would see them remain in charge of the enclave, a source told international media. The deal would include an internationally guaranteed five-year truce and the release of all Israeli hostages in a single batch.
The latest bid to seal a ceasefire follows an Israeli proposal which Hamas had rejected earlier in April as “partial,” urging a “comprehensive” agreement to halt the war ignited by the October 7 massacres.
Israel demands the return of all hostages seized in the 2023 attack, and the disarmament of Hamas, which the jihadists rejected as a “red line.”
An earlier Israeli offer, rejected by the Palestinian terrorists, included a 45-day ceasefire in exchange for the return of 10 living hostages.
More than a month into a renewed Israeli offensive in Gaza after a two-month truce, a Hamas official said earlier this week that its delegation in Cairo would discuss “new ideas” on a ceasefire.
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Suspected Chemical Blast at Iran’s Bandar Abbas Kills 4, Injures Hundreds
People walk after an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, Iran, April 26, 2025. Photo: Mohammad Rasoul Moradi/IRNA/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
A huge blast on Saturday likely caused by the explosion of chemical materials stored at Iran’s biggest port, Bandar Abbas, killed at least four people and injured more than 500, Iranian state media reported.
The explosion, which hit the Shahid Rajaee section of the port, occurred as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, but there was no immediate indication of a link between the two events.
Hossein Zafari, a spokesperson for Iran’s crisis management organization, appeared to blame the explosion on poor storage of chemicals in containers at Shahid Rajaee.
“The cause of the explosion was the chemicals inside the containers,” he told Iran’s ILNA news agency.
“Previously, the Director General of Crisis Management had given warnings to this port during their visits and had pointed out the possibility of danger,” Zafari said.
An Iranian government spokesperson, however, said that although chemicals had likely caused the blast, it was not yet possible to determine the exact reason.
Iran’s official news channels aired footage of a vast black and orange cloud of smoke billowing up above the port in the aftermath of the blast, and an office building with its doors blown off and papers and debris strewn around.
Bandar Abbas is Iran’s largest port and handles most of its containers in transit.
The blast shattered windows within a radius of several kilometers and was heard in Qeshm, an island 16 miles south of the port, Iranian media said.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency posted footage of injured men lying on the road being tended to amid scenes of confusion.
State TV earlier reported that poor handling of flammable materials was a “contributing factor” to the explosion. A local crisis management official told state TV that the blast took place after several containers stored at the port exploded.
As relief workers tried to put out fires, the port’s customs officials said trucks were being evacuated from the area and that the container yard where the explosion occurred likely contained “dangerous goods and chemicals.” Activities at the port were halted after the blast, officials said.
DEADLY INCIDENTS
A series of deadly incidents have hit Iranian energy and industrial infrastructure in recent years, with many, like Saturday’s blast, blamed on negligence.
They have included refinery fires, a gas explosion at a coalmine, and an emergency repairs incident at Bandar Abbas killed one worker in 2023.
Iran has blamed some other incidents on its arch-foe Israel, which has carried out attacks on Iranian soil targeting Iran’s nuclear program in recent years and last year bombed the country’s air defenses.
Tehran said Israel was behind a February, 2024 attack on Iranian gas pipelines. And in 2020, computers at Shahid Rajaee were hit by a cyberattack. The Washington Post reported that Iran’s arch-foe Israel appeared to be behind that incident as retaliation for an earlier Iranian cyberattack.
Israel has indicated it is nervous about the outcome of US-Iran talks, demanding a full dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran says the program is used solely for peaceful purposes, while international observers say it is getting closer to being able to build a bomb.
There was no immediate comment from Israeli military or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office when asked for comment on whether Israel was in any way involved in Saturday’s explosion.
Oil facilities were not affected by the blast on Saturday, Iranian authorities said. The National Iranian Petroleum Refining and Distribution Company said in a statement that it had “no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes and oil pipelines.”
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