US President Donald Trump speaks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset in Tel Aviv on Monday (October 13). Photo: AP/PTI
'World needs more Trumps': Israel's standing ovation for US President
Hamas released seven hostages into the custody of the Red Cross , the first to be released as part of a breakthrough ceasefire after two years of war between Israel and Hamas in the devastated Gaza Strip
US President Donald Trump was greeted with a sustained standing ovation by Israeli lawmakers during his address to the Knesset in Jerusalem on Monday (October 13), following the release of 20 hostages as part of a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
The parliament’s speaker, Amir Ohana, praised Trump as a “giant of Jewish history” and declared: “The world needs more Trumps.”
In his remarks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu credited Trump with strong support for Israel—including backing sovereignty over the Golan Heights—and thanked him for facilitating the hostage deal. The agreement also involves the release of Palestinian prisoners, increased humanitarian aid to Gaza, and a partial Israeli withdrawal.
Earlier, Hamas released seven hostages into the custody of the Red Cross , the first to be released as part of a breakthrough ceasefire after two years of war between Israel and Hamas in the devastated Gaza Strip.
Also read | Israel, Hamas agree to ‘first phase’ of Gaza truce, hostage-prisoner release
There was no immediate information on their condition. Hamas has said 20 living hostages will be exchanged for over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Families and friends of hostages broke out into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the hostages were in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis were watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu declares victory
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared victory on Sunday as the nation awaits the return of hostages after two years.Also read | Netanyahu can’t win Gaza war by flexing military muscle; two-state policy only fix
“Together we achieved tremendous victories, victories that amazed the whole world... But at the same time I must tell you, the fight is not over,” Netanyahu said. “This is an emotional evening, an evening of tears, an evening of joy, because tomorrow our children will return to our borders,” he added, quoting a biblical verse. Follow below for Live updates:
Live Updates
- 13 Oct 2025 4:50 PM IST
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid hails hostage return; says 'standing with Hamas is evil'
"For two years, we waited for this morning — two years of sleepless nights, two years without breath in our lungs. Today, our eyes are filled with tears, and our hearts with gratitude. Our children are finally coming home," said Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, Jerusalem Post reported.
Lapid described the Nobel Committee’s decision not to honour Trump as “a grave mistake,” adding, “They will have no choice, Mr. President — they will have to award it to you next year.”
“When you stand with Hamas, you stand with evil… when you stand with Israel, you stand on the side of justice,” Lapid declared.
Addressing Western protesters, he accused them of being misled by propaganda, urging them to “go and learn the facts.” He stressed that “there was no genocide, no deliberate starvation,” and warned that standing with Iran, Hamas, or Hezbollah meant “standing on the side of evil,” while supporting Israel meant “standing on the side of justice.”
Concluding his remarks, Lapid said, “If there’s one stock I’d invest in today, it would be the State of Israel,” appealing to what he called “the businessman in President Trump.”
- 13 Oct 2025 4:46 PM IST
Netanyahu called Trump’s actions 'miraculous', backs his Nobel Peace Prize nomination
“Despite the naysayers, we were right — Hamas gave in once we expanded our operations into Gaza City,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, according to Jerusalem Post.
Addressing President Trump, Netanyahu added, “You accomplished what many thought impossible — uniting much of the world, including the Arab world, behind your peace plan.” He expressed gratitude to Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Witkoff, and the negotiating teams for their close collaboration between Israel and the United States in achieving this milestone.
Calling Trump’s actions “miraculous,” Netanyahu thanked the American officials for their steadfast support.
He described the bombing of Fordow as “a turning point in history,” and said that the elimination of Qasem Soleimani, “the Pivot of Death,” reshaped global dynamics and “put America back in the driver’s seat.”
Netanyahu concluded by announcing that he had nominated President Trump to become the first foreign recipient of the Israel Prize, and voiced his backing for Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize nomination.
- 13 Oct 2025 4:38 PM IST
Trump’s election reversed mounting diplomatic pressure on Israel: Netanyahu
“Diplomatic pressure had intensified as more governments fell for Hamas propaganda,” Netanyahu said, according to Jerusalem Post.
“At that very moment of maximum pressure on Israel, Donald Trump was elected president — and overnight, everything changed,” he remarked.
“With Trump’s unwavering support for Israel, we were able to secure a second hostage deal within weeks of his election,” he added.
- 13 Oct 2025 4:31 PM IST
Netanyahu tells Israeli parliament he is 'committed to this peace'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Monday (October 13) that he is “committed to this peace” in a speech to parliament.
He added: “Today, the Jewish calendar marks the end of two years of war.”
- 13 Oct 2025 4:29 PM IST
Netanyahu remembers the victims of October 7, hails the resilience of Jews
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remembers the victims and survivors of October 7. Netanyahu speaks about the resilience of the Jewish people and Israel's military, Jerusalem Post reported.
- 13 Oct 2025 4:19 PM IST
Netanyahu lauds Trump; acknowledges the pain of the families who lost their loved ones
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded President Donald Trump following the release of all surviving Israeli hostages. according to Jerusalem Post.
Acknowledging the immense loss, Netanyahu spoke to the families of nearly 2,000 victims, almost half of whom died in combat, saying he understands the depth of their pain and the enduring grief they would carry. “Because of these heroes, our nation will endure, prosper, and find peace,” he said.
Netanyahu also commended a dual Israeli-American citizen who lost three limbs during the Israel-Hamas conflict.
- 13 Oct 2025 4:15 PM IST
Netanyahu calls Trump Israel's greatest friend in White House'; praises 'heroic' efforts of Israeli soldiers
"Donald Trump is the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his address to the Knesset, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Netanyahu expressed gratitude to Trump for Operation Rising Lion and Operation Midnight Hammer — the coordinated Israeli and American airstrikes against Iran in June.
He also thanked the US president for recognising Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights and standing up against "lies against Israel" at the United Nations.
“Israel did what it had to do to defend its people, with heroic soldiers who fought like lions,” Netanyahu added.
- 13 Oct 2025 4:11 PM IST
Israeli speaker calls Trump 'President of Peace', backs him for 2026 Nobel Prize
According to Jerusalem Post, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana hailed Donald Trump as the “President of Peace,” asserting that “there was no one else on this planet who did more to advance peace — no one even came close.” He described Trump’s election last year as “a turning point not just for the United States, but for the entire world,” adding that Trump has become “one of the most consequential presidents in history.”
Ohana also announced his intention to collaborate with US House Speaker Mike Johnson to nominate Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, stating that “there is no one more deserving.”
He assured Trump that Israel would fully support his Nobel nomination, saying, “In less than nine months, you became one of the most consequential presidents in history.”
- 13 Oct 2025 4:05 PM IST
'The world needs more Trumps': Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana remarked, “What the world needs today are not appeasers who feed the crocodile hoping to be eaten last, as we have witnessed at the UN General Assembly, but leaders who are courageous, determined, strong, and bold." "The world needs more Trumps!" he said
- 13 Oct 2025 3:57 PM IST
Knesset Speaker says Trump not just ‘another president’, likens him to Cyrus the Great
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana began his address by declaring that Donald Trump is not merely “another American president,” but rather “a giant of Jewish history — comparable to figures from two and a half millennia ago, such as Cyrus the Great.”
Cyrus the Great, the Persian ruler, had allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the 6th century BCE, according to Jerusalem Post.
