Walking along Jaffa Road and around Ben-Yehuda Street, we asked various people how they felt about the news that the hostages would be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Last Thursday, US President Donald Trump said that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of an agreement that could end the two-year Israel-Hamas War and lead to the release of all the hostages in Gaza. Hamas is said to have 48 hostages, which include 20 who are believed to be alive.
Coming days after the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre, the agreement marks the beginning of what, to many, will hopefully be a new chapter of reconciliation and healing.
The first phase of the agreement consists of releasing all hostages in exchange for 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and the IDF pulling back to an agreed-upon line. The rest of Trump’s 20-point proposed peace deal will be discussed after the conclusion of the first phase.
With this in mind, Trump’s proposal, which in its entirety will bring all hostages back, end the war, and remove Hamas from control of Gaza, was met with enthusiasm from many Israeli politicians and was quickly approved by the government.
The question is, how does your average Israeli see this deal? To find out, we asked people on the streets of Jerusalem for their opinion.
How do you feel about the hostage release and prisoner exchange?
We had been on the streets the day before, asking people about the prospect of the deal, and there had been a mixed bag: People were unsure, torn between excitement that the hostages would return and concern about the risks that would come with releasing so many Palestinian prisoners. Some people offered alternate solutions, wanting Israel to continue the war, or “atomic bomb Gaza and finish the story in two weeks.”
In contrast to the day before, on Thursday, Israelis were united. Everyone we interviewed thought it was good news that we are getting the hostages back, describing feelings of joy, relief, and happiness that after two years they would all get to come home.
A haredi man wearing a shtreimel said: “It really makes me happy to see that after two years, the hostages will get to come home, the soldiers will stop dying, and the war is going to come to an end.”
An Israeli artist described having felt the positivity and good energy in the air that morning, even before he found out about the deal. When we informed him of the deal, he smiled and said: “Well, you’ve really made my day. Now I want to paint for free.”
He spoke about the palpable happiness that filled the streets and how it felt different from the days before.
For many, the mood was still somber, as the prisoners being released in exchange for the hostages hung over their happiness.
Another Israeli man told us: “Of course, I’m happy for the release of the hostages. I’ve prayed for it for two years… But we can’t forget the prisoners being exchanged. They can’t be allowed to go back to terrorism.”
That sentiment was widespread.
One person said the solution to the conflict was to “make Israel bigger,” and “If we don’t wake up right now, there is going to be a lot of pain.”
A Palestinian store owner said the deal was good for both sides: “About the hostages – [Hamas] should give them back; and from the Israeli side, you should give us the hostages also, the prisoners.”
An American told us it was “a step in the right direction.”
Another person said it was “quite the risky move, but geopolitically there’s nothing much else we can do.”
Many thanked God for the deal. Two American Christian women said it was an act of “divine providence.” They were visibly elated at the news, looking up to the sky, arms up as they described how they “love the Jews, love Israel,” and how they’ve “been supporting them,” with their agency recently donating $500,000 to the Jewish Agency.
Although we received a variety of responses from different people, the general consensus was one of hope. People were elated at the possibility of an end to the war and at the prospect of the return of the hostages. But having been let down before, they were afraid to believe the deal would be a real turning point.
In January, Hamas and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire, which lasted until February, when Hamas said it was halting the first phase of the ceasefire due to alleged “violations” made by Israel. This resulted in the continuation of the war and the disillusionment of much of Israeli society.
Despite dwindling optimism, the Israeli view on a deal to end the war has been positive, especially over the past few months, with polls suggesting that about two-thirds of Israelis supported an end to the war, a trend that increased as the war dragged on.
Consequently, the majority reactions throughout the streets of Israel were of excitement and relief. Although many remain cautiously hopeful, public sentiment reflects a yearning for normalcy and a prevailing faith that peace is on the horizon.