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Isa Soares Tonight
President Trump And World Leaders Sign Gaza Peace Deal In Sharm El- Sheikh Egypt; Emotional Reunions After Hamas Releases All Living Hostages; Israel Frees Nearly 2k Palestinian Detainees; France's Macron Participates in Gaza Summit; All 20 Living Hostages Return To Israel; Trump Joins Other World Leaders In Egypt For Gaza Summit. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired October 13, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: Hello, and a very warm welcome, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, we go straight to our breaking news, that is a
historic as well as momentous day right in the Middle East. Despite the challenges, of course, that lie ahead, President Donald Trump says a long,
as well as painful nightmare is finally over, declaring an end to the war in Gaza.
U.S. President and other world leaders have been gathering, as we've been showing you on our air in Egypt, and just signed a deal meant to cement a
Gaza ceasefire. It is part of efforts to ensure that the U.S. brokered truce turns into a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
But for now, for some families on both sides, nothing matters more than what the ceasefire has already achieved, getting their loved ones back home
after two agonizing years of war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(WOMAN WAILING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And this incredibly emotional scene we just played for you looking at now was just one of just the extraordinary reunions we've witnessed in
Israel today after Hamas released all 20 living hostages in Gaza. It also turned over the bodies of four deceased hostages to the Red Cross.
In exchange, Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, as you can see there, the vast majority had been held without
charge. Reunions in Gaza and the West Bank were relatively subdued as Israel ordered Palestinians not to celebrate. A 154 Palestinians who were
serving long-term sentences won't be going home at all, they were forced into exile in Egypt.
U.S. President meanwhile, addressed the Israeli parliament earlier today, the Knesset, telling them, quote, "you won and now you can build." Mr.
Trump also herald what he called the historic dawn of a new Middle East. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the
glorious embrace of their families. And it is glorious. This is the end of an age of terror and death, and the beginning of the age of faith and hope
and of God.
It's the start of a grand concord and lasting harmony for Israel and all the nations of what will soon be a truly magnificent region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, I want to take you to these live images that you're seeing now, if we can perhaps drop the banners, we can see a bit clearer of what
we're looking at. These are convoys, now you see a better, clearer image of convoys transporting the bodies of those deceased hostages following, of
course, the release by Hamas.
We had heard earlier that from Israeli authorities that Hamas had handed over four coffins with the remains of the deceased hostages to the Red
Cross. Two, from what we understand, had already been handed over to the Red Cross to Israeli forces inside Gaza, and two are currently on their
way.
This was according to the latest statement that we'd heard from the Israeli military and the Israeli security agency. We're now looking at that convoy,
of course, a day of celebration for so many, and a day, of course, of closure and mourning for so many other families. And that is important to
remember here as we mark what is an historic day, but also an incredibly painful day for so many others.
Our Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv and joins us now. And Jeremy, you know, as we look at this convoy, it is remarkable to think, you know, that it's
taken two years for these families to be -- to return home. Talk us through what today has been like, a moment of celebration for some other -- for so
-- for so many, but also it's very difficult day for others.
[14:05:00]
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. And I will begin on the bodies of those hostages that were returned, given those
pictures that you were just showing. You know, first of all, it's important to note that the Israeli forensic institute is still going to have to
confirm that these are indeed the four bodies of hostages that Hamas claims that they are.
We have seen instances in the past, for example, in particular during the release of the bodies of the Shiri Bibas and her two children that Hamas
had sent the wrong body in at least one instance. And so, that process is now presumably going to be underway in Israel to confirm via DNA analysis
that these are indeed the bodies that Hamas claims they will be.
But if indeed they are, then you will see at least, this moment of closure for the families of these four hostages who are Danielle Peretz, Yossi
Sharabi, Guy Illouz and Bipin Joshi, three of them Israelis, one of them a Nepali national. Important to note that Yossi Sharabi is the brother of Eli
Sharabi, a hostage who endured more than a year and a half of captivity who was released during the last ceasefire and who, you know, became quite an
important symbol of the fate of Israeli hostages since emerging.
And beyond, of course, the closure for the families themselves. There is also just the importance of being able to perform the Jewish burial rites
for many of these families and for the bodies of these hostages. But keep in mind that this still means that there are 24 other bodies of hostages
still being held in Gaza.
Their location, when they will be released, all of this still very much uncertain, as we know that Hamas does not know the location of all of those
remaining bodies.
SOARES: And Jeremy, we have seen, of course, as a ceasefire holds. You've been reporting on this story for over two years. Often we bring pretty
heartbreaking news from the region, and for once, for many of those families, we have some good news, right? For many of those. Give us a sense
of what today, a day of so many emotions, what has been like in Hostage Square.
DIAMOND: Yes, without a doubt. I mean, you know, to be able to say the sentence that there are no longer any living --
SOARES: Yes --
DIAMOND: Hostages inside of the Gaza Strip for the first time in more than two years, is a remarkable feat, is a remarkable accomplishment. And it
will allow this country to finally be able to begin to heal the open wounds that October 7th has been for more than two years now. The hostages still
remaining in Gaza made October 7th an open wound, made this something that this country could not move past.
And now, finally, there is an opportunity for the country as a whole to do that. And of course, for the families of those hostages who endured more
than two years of captivity, for the families who endured two years of anguish, of uncertainty, of fighting for their loved ones to be released,
this is also just an incredible moment.
And we have been seeing in video-after-video-after-video, these incredibly emotional and beautiful reunions, the screams of joy, you know, the cries
of relief after two years of holding so much of that in, has been remarkable to see the latest video that I saw that really struck me, Isa,
was seeing Omri Miran finally be reunited with his two little girls --
SOARES: Yes --
DIAMOND: One of whom was just six months old when he was taken hostage, and finally, these two little girls getting their father back.
SOARES: Yes, and Omri, you know, it has been a guest on our show, Jeremy, for so many times. And I've heard from his brother-in-law so many times as
he made -- as he spoke, of course, for that family and how little they were and seeing those images, of course, was really incredibly touching and
moving.
We're seeing photos of him with his wife right now. What a moment that was, and I can't imagine -- I can't imagine, Jeremy, what it was like to be in
Hostage Square as of course, President Trump was addressing the Knesset. Speak to the moment for the U.S. and U.S.-Israeli relations here, how he
was welcomed there.
DIAMOND: Well, there's no question that President Trump, you know, has become somewhat of a hero here in Israel. And that's really just -- it's
not an understatement. I mean, Hostage Square went wild today when Air Force one flew over the city of Tel Aviv. And of course, Israelis in
general have been giving President Trump the bulk of the credit for getting this deal across the finish line.
[14:10:00]
That is bringing back all of the hostages and ending the war in Gaza. And what we saw at the Knesset today really was quite remarkable. And I think
back to the fact that so many world leaders have used this strategy now of kind of buttering President Trump up, of flattering him and hoping and
often times successfully using that to improve their relationship and their country's standing with the United States.
Today, we saw President Trump use that same playbook, but on the Israeli Prime Minister, and doing so in a way that really has boxed in the Israeli
Prime Minister, it would seem, at least for now, to President Trump's bold statement that this war in Gaza is over, and that the Israeli government
must stick with this ceasefire.
In many ways, the bear hug that President Trump offered the Israeli Prime Minister today really has given the Israeli Prime Minister only one clear
path to move forward, and that is to stick with President Trump's vision. He will, of course, face political crosswinds from his right-wing allies in
government. But things may have changed a bit today, given the performance that President Trump put on and generally just how President Trump is
viewed among Israelis today.
SOARES: Jeremy Diamond and team, thank you, Jeremy, a very busy day, historic day, of course, appreciate it. Well, President Trump as you heard,
Jeremy said there, says phase two of his 20-point ceasefire plan has already started, but it's still not even clear at this stage exactly what
phase two actually entails. Mr. Trump has just departed Egypt after signing on to the historic agreement. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: With the historic agreement we've just signed, those prayers of millions have finally been answered. As you know, the hostages have been
returned, and further work goes on, having to do with the -- sadly to say, bodies. Together, we've achieved what everybody said was impossible. At
long last, we have peace in the Middle East, and it's very simple expression, peace in the Middle East. And we've heard it for many years,
but nobody thought it could ever get there, and now we're there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, more than 20 world leaders have been attending this summit, notably absent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And whilst a day
of joy and celebration for so many, a lot of hard work, of course, on the diplomatic front remains. And there are still a lot of questions as to what
comes next.
Let's go to our Nic Robertson who is at Sharm El-Sheikh. And Nic, we have seen some emotional scenes throughout the day. Now, the focus turns to
diplomacy and how to make peace stick. I remember you and I were talking last week, we were talking about those questions that still remain, and
there are so many that remain. And you said to me, I remember vividly you said, let's see what's in that document, right? I'm guessing we still don't
know what has been signed here. Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It really isn't clear what was signed. Look, there was certainly a lot of sort of backslapping
and bonhomie. President Trump there with the Egyptian President, the Turkish President, the Emir of Qatar, all signing that document. But it
isn't clear what's inside of it.
When President Trump has talked about this today, he's talked about, you know, what needs to be done in Gaza in terms of rebuilding, in terms of
sort of finding the funding and money from that for leaders from the region. And he said some of those leaders have come forward and offered
money, but the sort of hard and difficult issues that await Gaza are the international stabilization force.
How many troops we've heard, 20,000 to 40,000, but who is going to provide them? What will their mandate be? Will they have a U.N. backing? What will
their rules of engagement do? What happens if a gunman comes out on the street and points a weapon at them? Are they entitled to shoot first before
they're shot at?
Questions like that. We got none of that sense of detail from President Trump. And he was in that room with all those leaders, and really we
understood they'd come in wanting to try to get momentum from phase one to phase two, from the ceasefire, hostage release, prisoner release to all
those other remaining questions on President Trump's 20-point plan.
And you can sort of look at the faces of the leaders that were lined up behind President Trump when he was speaking here in Sharm. You had Prime
Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis standing behind him, Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, next to him -- next to her was the
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he gave a very glowing speech of praise to President Trump.
A speech, by the way, thanking the President for the peace that he had brought between India and Pakistan, which that war had really escalated
earlier on in the year. I was there, President Trump, the United States was heavily involved in de-escalating there. But also, you have to remember,
the Pakistan Prime Minister looking for a better relationship with the U.S. President as well.
Next to him, you had the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, the Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, next to him, and the look on their faces sort
of told you like, where is the momentum? They weren't necessarily rolling their eyes, but they were standing behind the President giving a very long
speech. And I think a lot of them had been hoping to get more, understand more or see more momentum, and that didn't connect.
[14:15:00]
And another sense of that lack of momentum perhaps came from the fact that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, perhaps the closest country to Egypt, to
Sharm El-Sheikh, didn't come. He sent his very capable Foreign Minister, the leader of the UAE, United Arab Emirates, he didn't come, he sent a very
capable vice president.
But the symbolism and signaling that these very powerful and influential and rich leaders in the region, that they actually didn't come. Really
symbolizes perhaps the fact that there wasn't a lot of detail in the document, that there really are a lot of dots left to be joined up. And of
course, that is the worry now.
If you don't have the detail down now, how do you keep the momentum? How do you get that stabilizing force in quickly? How do you prevent Hamas gaining
ground, gaining strength again in Gaza? Israel is waiting for the international community to disarm Hamas. These are the sort of competing
tensions, and I don't believe we got a sense of progress on that from what President Trump said --
SOARES: Yes --
ROBERTSON: Or the scant details about the document, that may all change later. Thus far, we don't know a lot about what was actually signed.
SOARES: No sense of detail, momentum, of course, has to be there. We know this is going to be a long road, not an easy one. The question then
becomes, Nic, just from what we've heard throughout the day from President Trump, whether you think he will stay the course when it comes to
diplomacy, how much pressure, how much influence he could potentially have on, exert on Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Jeremy Diamond is saying to me, just before you came on that, you know, he's boxed Netanyahu in. What is your sense from what we heard, whether
President Trump will stay the course on this?
ROBERTSON: Well, he certainly has influence and pressure points on --
SOARES: Yes --
ROBERTSON: Prime Minister Netanyahu. It was interesting when he was speaking in the Knesset, he gave a shout out for Yair Lapid; the opposition
leader who spoke after Prime Minister Netanyahu, and he kind of -- President Trump also sort of said yes, to Netanyahu, yes, he's a good guy,
you sort of may not like him.
And I kind of felt at that moment, it was another sort of pressure point on Netanyahu, we are giving you weapons. That was what President Trump said.
You are using them well. You are a country that can develop economically. But he was sort of hinting, I've got options at other leaders in Israel,
whether or not Yair Lapid could actually win in an election, which is due to be held next year, is another matter.
But you know, when it comes to taking that pressure that he can bring to bear on Prime Minister Netanyahu, and turning that actually into a lasting
and durable peace, he didn't seem to want to get into the detail today. You know, when he was asked about phase one, phase two, he said those phases
are a little bit sort of mixed up already.
Steve Witkoff said, look, as soon as the ink was dry on phase one, we were already working to build momentum on phase two. But I don't think anyone
walking away, leaders walking away from this summit today will feel that they got all the answers or saw all the momentum that they wanted. Yes, the
President can exert more pressure to control, contain, potentially Prime Minister Netanyahu.
But he also had real stark warnings for Iran as well. So, it is a work in progress, details TBD. Work in progress, if it doesn't gather speed, people
are going to start to worry about what it can really --
SOARES: Yes --
ROBERTSON: Achieve.
SOARES: Absolutely. Nic Robertson for us there, thank you very much. We've taken you to Jerusalem, to Sharm El-Sheikh. I want to turn now to the West
Bank, where we are seeing moments of joy and relief there, too, of course, as Palestinian prisoners and those detained without charges by Israel
reunite with their loved ones.
Huge crowds, as we showed you greeted the buses carrying those freed, some 250 long-term Palestinian prisoners convicted by Israeli courts were
released into the West Bank, Jerusalem, as well as Gaza. Some are being deported to Egypt. Samer Halabiya is one of the prisoners released after
spending ten years in jail, and he described what this moment means. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMER HALABIYA, RELEASED PALESTINIAN PRISONER (through translator): It's an indescribable feeling. I still cannot believe it. Thank God. We used to
wait for this joy to happen, but I am not feeling it because it was a big surprise. We faced an extreme psychological pressure, and one could not
believe until last second.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, similar scenes playing out in Gaza. Look at that, nearly 40 buses carrying Palestinian detainees slowly passed through swathes of
people gathered at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. Our Nada Bashir joins me now live from Ramallah in the West Bank, Ramallah.
We have seen incredibly moving scenes where you are. Paint us a picture of what the day has been like for them and their families as they finally
reunited.
[14:20:00]
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, it was certainly a very controlled process in comparison to what we've seen in past ceasefire
exchange processes. And we certainly saw those huge crowds once again gathered in central Ramallah waiting to welcome those prisoners who had
been released today as part of that ceasefire deal.
But it was certainly a much smaller crowd than we've seen in the past. There was a heavy presence by the Palestinian security forces, and there
had been a very clear warning from early on from the Israeli authorities for no celebrations to take place, for no displays of support or
affiliation with any groups that the Israelis have termed as terrorist organizations.
And in the past, when we've seen these gatherings, we have in fact seen these crowds carrying flags of different political factions, including
Hamas. But that certainly isn't what we saw today. It was certainly an emotional moment for many family members reunited with their loved ones,
many of them after decades behind bars.
And it's important to note that among the 250 men that were released today as part of that deal, many of them, the vast majority, were serving either
long-term sentences or even life sentences, some multiple life sentences, and many of them were convicted with serious offenses, including murder.
As you mentioned, more than 150 of them were in fact deported to Egypt. The rest we did see arriving in the occupied West Bank, others in east
Jerusalem. And it's here where we saw those emotional reunions, and we spoke to some of those prisoners who told us that they weren't even aware
that they would be released until some of them just hours before that process began and took place to transport them to the Ofer Prison in the
occupied West Bank.
Many of them spoke of their disbelief, but joy at being reunited with their family members. We also saw other relatives who gathered at this center in
Ramallah, the Ramallah Cultural Palace, hoping to be reunited with their loved ones, only then to learn that they had in fact been deported to Egypt
already.
But it's important to note, as you mentioned, Isa, that in addition to that figure of 250, we did also see 1,700 at least, Palestinians, who were
detained during the war in Gaza, being returned to the Gaza, many of them being held without charge. And you can just imagine that for many of them,
they have returned to near-total destruction.
Many of them unaware of the fate of their family members until their return. And we saw many of them were requiring immediate medical attention.
In fact, the Nasser Hospital in Gaza had been preparing from over the weekend to take in these prisoners, really anticipating the conditions that
they would be in, given past ceasefire deals.
We've seen where prisoners were released in a poor medical condition, and we did hear from some prisoners today telling us that they had faced
mistreatment, humiliation, beatings on a daily basis. These are allegations that we've heard quite frequently from released Palestinian prisoners. The
Israeli prison service says it is not aware of any such cases.
But again, those harrowing accounts, of course, have been documented by many, or at least relayed by many Palestinian prisoners. And of course, in
the West Bank here, this is being seen as a moment of joy. There is, of course, still concern over what comes next for Gaza and in the occupied
West Bank. And of course, real questions as to what phase two of this ceasefire deal could look like, if indeed the ceasefire holds.
SOARES: Yes, joy mixed with trepidation, completely understandable. Nada Bashir for us there in Ramallah. Thank you very much, Nada, good to see
you. And still to come tonight, world leaders discuss reconstructing Gaza at the meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh. We'll speak to a French official about
the French perspective on that meeting. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: We continue to follow breaking news today. The long awaited, of course, release of hostages being held by Hamas for the first time in more
than two years. Hamas and its allies are no longer holding any living Israeli hostage. But there is much more work to be done. World leaders took
part in a meeting we've been showing you here in Sharm El-Sheikh about the reconstruction of Gaza, including how to remove the rubble, train police
officers and increase aid into the embattled territory.
The Egyptian President outlined the next steps. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDEL FATTAH EL-SISI, PRESIDENT, EGYPT (through translator): At this historic milestone, where we're all together have witnessed that the region
gulf Sharm El-Sheikh agreement on ending war in Gaza, and the birds(ph) of a glimpse of hope that such deal and agonizing chapter in the history of
mankind, and opens the door, ushering in a new era of peace and stability in the Middle East.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: That was President Sisi. France was among those countries participating in how to rebuild in Gaza. I want to bring in the French
Foreign Ministry spokesman, Pascal Confavreux who joins me now. Pascal, thank you for joining us on this historic day. We have heard, and I'm sure
you heard as well, Pascal, President Trump say today that negotiations of phase two are already underway.
What is your sense, Pascal? What are you hearing in terms of where we are on that front of the discussion? I know that France has also been holding
in the last week a Paris Summit. What more can you tell us about that second phase, so critical, the details, what we need right now.
PASCAL CONFAVREUX, SPOKESPERSON, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTRY: Yes, thank you. Yes, we have to build on this momentum, to see what are the future or the
future steps. There is one in terms first of stabilization and security, that was a part of the talks last week at the ministerial meeting in Paris,
introduced by President Macron and with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of five Arab countries and five European countries.
We think that this stabilization force needs now a United Nations Security Council mandate. We think that it will give a lot of strength to have other
contributors of the first of the neighboring countries, but also of other countries, ready to also help the police forces of the Palestinian
Authority, and also to contribute to the stabilization force.
Second, we also have to think in terms of reconstruction, and the immediate priority is to have the humanitarian aid coming back unhindered in Gaza.
And Egypt with France will hold a conference in the weeks to come on this humanitarian part. And third, you need also to work closely on the
governance. We all agree with the French-Saudi plan of the -- which was adopted by 142 countries in September, but also then with the American plan
that you have a transitory governance body on the Gaza Strip.
But also, very shortly, to have the return of the Palestinian Authority on this Gaza Strip. This has to be -- now to be discussed with the Palestinian
Authority, which is modernized, and as it is -- as it has said it would in this Franco-Saudi plan of September. These are the three steps: governance,
security --
SOARES: Yes --
CONFAVREUX: And reconstruction.
SOARES: Right, let's break those three steps down, so, for our viewers. Let me start then on the first point that you mentioned, of course, that's the
international stabilization force. We have been hearing numbers suggesting something between 20 to 40,000. Do we have a sense of the numbers? What
countries would be involved in that stabilization force? Any rules of engagement, and then how soon are we looking here, Pascal?
CONFAVREUX: It's exactly what is being discussed now at present. We need something which is working, which is efficient, which also gives and equip
the Palestinian Authority police forces in the short term, and also with the -- with the European partners. And so, we have already some parts of
the European Union teams on the ground. And so, we are building consensus to have a strong stabilization force. But what we think is very important
is to have also this United Nations mandate. It will give an international law support, which is important for many countries as well.
[14:30:29]
SOARES: Is France part of that stabilization force? I mean, the reason I'm asking you this, Pascal, at this moment, because clearly there's a power
vacuum right now. Speed, momentum, as you said quite rightly, so important, of course. We have been seeing, we've been reporting over the weekend, you
must have seen this, Pascal, that Hamas is already reasserting itself in parts of Gaza. So, is France part of this stabilization force? What can you
tell us on France's side, what you would like to see?
CONFAVREUX: Yes, we're ready to contribute. There are many different parts of contribution. You have equipped, training, money as well. And also,
different levels of engagement. And this is being dealt really, as we speak, both in Sharm el-Sheikh, but it was also dealt last week in Paris.
SOARES: Next then -- then let's break down, just for our viewers around the world, in terms of what is France's sense and position when it comes on the
governance of Gaza. President Macron, Pascal, had spoken previously and he talked about -- I mean -- the word he used, a temporary governance
structure for Gaza, how important it was to establish that. What would that look like?
CONFAVREUX: It has to be, and President Macron has said it, and we've seen also that President Trump said it today, that it has to be very inclusive.
In the months that led to this moment now, there has been a very strong commitment by the Palestinian Authority in terms of modernization. They
committed to have new elections in the year to come, to have a reform of constitution. They committed, and it already happened, the end of the pay
for slay scheme. And also, a reform of the -- how they teach history for the young generation. These are very important steps. We have to monitor
them. We have to audit them also in the future. But these are very important steps.
And the second part was to establish that this Palestinian State will have an authority on the Gaza Strip, so that you have a kind of unity, both on
the West Bank and on the Gaza Strip. These are two major parts that both were in the declaration of New York and in the American plan here.
Now, we have to see when these governments will take place, and it's exactly what's happening now in Sharm el-Sheikh.
SOARES: Let's hope the momentum continues. Pascal Confavreux, really appreciate you coming on the show. Thank you, Pascal.
CONFAVREUX: Thank you.
SOARES: And still to come tonight, emotional reunions, as well as powerful speeches right across the Middle East. In just a moment, I'll speak with a
former Israeli consul general for his reaction to this monumental day. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:35:00]
SOARES: Welcome back to the show. And back to our breaking news now. The 20 remaining living hostages in Gaza are now back in Israel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Real joy there. And disbelief. Can you see the emotion? For the first time in more than two years, families of the hostages can once again
wrap their arms tightly around their loved ones. Here are just some of today's emotional reunions at their military facility.
For its part of the deal, Israel, meanwhile, has released around 250 convicted Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 detainees who had been
held without charges. During his address before the Israeli Knesset, Israeli parliament, Israel's prime minister pledged that he's, quote,
"committed to this peace." Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: A proposal that ends the war by achieving all our objectives. A proposal that opens the door to an historic
expansion of peace in our region and beyond our region.
Mr. President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace. And together, Mr. President, we will achieve this peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, my next guest is Alon Pinkas, who previously served as the Israeli consul general in New York. He joins us now from Tel Aviv. And,
Alon, you've been my guest many, many times over the period of the last two years, of course. And for once, of course, we have some good news for so
many. These truly emotional scenes that we've seen across Israel. Just your reaction, first of all, before we get into the diplomacy and the politics
of the mood in the country. Are these as families finally embrace their loved ones?
ALON PINKAS, FORMER ISRAELI CONSUL GENERAL IN NEW YORK: Well, Isa, there's -- you know, there's no way to describe the emotional rollercoaster that
everyone in Israel, particularly the families, of course, experienced in the last two years. And so, today was -- you know, it was a climactic
moment.
And, you know, I live right across the street from Hostages Square. There were thousands of people there from last night and thousands today in the
morning when the helicopters carrying the hostages that were released arrived in the hospital just across the street from the Hostages Square.
And so, I can't even begin to describe to you. I mean, you could see the footage. You showed the pictures of what a great day, what a great sense of
collective relief, jubilation and elation this has been.
All that said, done and established, tomorrow is a new day. And the problems begin. And now, Isa, you're forcing me to become my usual
skeptical.
SOARES: It didn't take you very long, did it, Alon?
PINKAS: I gave it my best. I gave it my best shot.
SOARES: But look, you said you live very close to Hostages Square. You would have seen and you would have heard, no doubt, Alon, the rapturous
applause, not just in the Knesset, but also in Hostages Square to, of course, President Trump who will receive and equally rapturous applause as
he addresses the Knesset. A moment of huge -- important for President Trump.
[14:40:00]
But this is a long road ahead, right? Do you get a sense from what we heard today, not just from President Trump, but also Prime Minister Netanyahu,
that President Trump will continue to use his leverage to make sure that peace holds?
PINKAS: Well, that's the absolute key question here and the key ingredient here, Isa. Whether or not President Trump remains committed is the make or
break of this entire deal. And based on his character, personality, precedents, and patterns of behavior, you have to be somewhat skeptical
whether or not he will remain committed when the real hard part begins. And that's endless negotiations and tedious details with Israel.
I heard your great interview with Pascal, the spokesman for President Macron of France. He said three times in the interview with you that France
sees, and everyone indeed sees, a role for the Palestinian Authority in the governance of Gaza. This is something that Mr. Netanyahu will not have.
So, to begin with, we need not Macron's involvement, which everyone has, but President Trump's continued engagement. And, you know, I look at
Ukraine and it -- you know, he didn't stay engaged in the way that he had pledged as a candidate. I hope I'm wrong here, but here's -- you know,
here's a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh taking place just a few hours ago without Israel.
SOARES: Yes.
PINKAS: And that tells you something. Now, as for Mr. Netanyahu, you know, he governs through speeches. I mean, an endless series of platitudes and
promises and hollow one-line fortune cookie slips of how he's saving Western civilization and committed to peace, and we extend our hand in
regional. We haven't seen any of that. So, you know, talk is cheap.
And the question is, will Trump continue to do what Trump did? Because let there be no doubt, Isa, Mr. Netanyahu did not want this agreement. A day
before he agreed to it publicly, he said on Fox News that the war will go on until Hamas is decisively beaten and destroyed.
And so, he was pressured by Trump, for the first time that an American president pressures Israel in such a way since the '50s. And whether or
not, I go back to our point, whether or not Trump remains committed and willing to exert that kind of pressure remains to be seen, because the hard
part is ahead of us. This agreement is so difficult to implement and so ambiguous that so many things could go wrong, and it lacks trust and it
lacks goodwill. I told you I'll be pessimistic.
SOARES: Yes, lacks trust and goodwill, and at the moment lacks a lot of detail. Well, you know, the long road -- it's a long road ahead. Alon,
always great. Love your optimism in this. Good to see you, Alon. Thank you.
PINKAS: That was my optimism.
SOARES: That was your optimism. OK. Join for more. Good to see you, Alon. Thank you very much. We're going to take a short break. We'll have more
breaking news on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
SOARES: Back to our breaking news. As the guns fall silent, Israeli hostages are returned, and Palestinian prisoners arrive to large crowds in
Gaza, as we showed you earlier from Ramallah. They're coming back to a place that is unrecognizable. More than two years of bombing has led to
almost complete destruction of the enclave and its infrastructure.
Some of the big questions now for what is next in Gaza. One is the international reconstruction program. Everyone's behind it and will have a
massive price tag. Who organizes the effort and how is the money distributed? And then the political structure. The interim governance of
Gaza has not been resolved, as you heard from my interview there with a French spokesperson. Will Palestinian factions come together? And for many,
the most important issue, the interim security force is a huge troop commitment, who's going to do that? And what are the rules of engagement?
We're hearing between 20,000 and 40,000. Then, of course, the humanitarian effort is not even there. This is all part of that first phase, the
humanitarians. A lot of questions that we have not had answered.
But let's get some clarity and some thoughts and analysis from Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, who leads a Palestinian national initiative and is a member of
the Palestinian parliament, a well-known face on the show. Dr. Barghouti, great to have you back on the show.
We have seen some truly extraordinary scenes, as I was speaking to my colleague in Ramallah just in the last, what, 20, 30 minutes or so, as we
saw Palestinians, detainees, released from Israeli jails and embracing their families, and as well as Israeli hostages, of course, embracing their
loved ones. Just your reaction, first of all, Dr. Barghouti, to this, you know, moment and potential -- the potential to build on this momentum.
DR. MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI, SECRETARY GENERAL, PALESTINIAN NATIONAL INITIATIVE AND MEMBER, PALESTINIAN PARLIAMENT: Well, the moment represents a mixture.
Of course, when you have families meeting some of these Palestinian prisoners, or captives, if you want to call them, who have been in jail for
20 years, 25 years, 30 years, it's amazing. I mean, these families never had the chance to embrace their sons, their daughters, their brothers,
their husbands. And it's an amazing moment, of course, for these families to be united.
But of course, there is a very strong feeling of sorrow for the fact that 12,000 Palestinian prisoners are still in Israeli jails, and those people
will not be able to celebrate their freedom with their families, as all Israeli captives did. So, it's a mixture of feelings.
And of course, in Gaza, you have a feeling of relief, but at the same time, a lot of pain. You're talking about 250,000 people who have been either
killed or injured. That's 11 percent of the population. And let me repeat, if you compare that to the population of the United States, proportionally,
this would have meant 33 million people killed or injured in the course of two years.
So, a lot of pain and a lot of worry, because people are not sure about what the future will carry, especially that even when we saw this
conference that was held today in Cairo. Nobody spoke -- I mean, the president, the American president, did not speak about the cause of all
problems, about the cause of the disease. Everything was about the symptoms of the disease. But the cause of the disease, which is the Israeli
occupation and the need of the Palestinian people to be free from occupation was never mentioned.
SOARES: And we'll get to that in just a moment, but let me just ask you, you were talking about, of course, the moment those detainees were -- you
know, were released. I understand one of those not being released, and correct me if I'm wrong here, Dr. Barghouti, is your distant cousin, Marwan
Barghouti, considered by many as one of the most popular and potentially unifying Palestinians. Why do you think, Dr. Barghouti, that Israelis were
against his release? What does that tell you?
[14:50:00]
DR. BARGHOUTI: It tells a lot. First of all, Marwan was a great person. He struggled all his life for his people. And he's a man who can make peace. I
mean, he's not like, as some Israelis try to show him, as if -- I mean, this is a person who could have been instrumental in helping all of us
getting the Palestinian unity together and in helping opening the road for ending this terrible situation.
Unfortunately, I believe the Israeli government did not want him to be released for two reasons. First of all, they don't want to show that
Palestinians made an achievement, and his release would have been considered as a very serious achievement for Palestinian people. But also,
it gives you an idea that this Israeli government does not want peace.
If they wanted peace, they know very well that he and the other leaders, by the way, the other five leaders, like Ahmad Sa'adat from PFLP and Abdullah
Barghouti and others, could have contributed dramatically to achieving a peaceful resolution. But they don't want that. The main conclusion of the
Israeli behavior is that this government doesn't want to make peace with Palestinians.
SOARES: Dr. Barghouti, I wish we had more time. We're running out of time. As always, great to get your insight. Good to see you, Dr. Barghouti. Thank
you very much indeed.
We're going to take a short break, but do stay right here with more breaking news from the Middle East.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: And before we go tonight, I want to leave you with the stories of families reunited today. Husbands, brothers, sons, and friends back with
their loved ones after more than 700 days. So, many moments of complete and utter joy and relief after so much pain, including for the family of
Kupershtein who was working at the NOVA Music Festival on October the 7th.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:55:00]
SOARES: His wheelchair-bound father, as you can see, I can hear him finding the strength to stand to embrace his son after more than two years.
Take a look at this moment of sheer delight as Evyatar David laid eyes on his friends after years in captivity. Just last week we spoke to the family
of Omri Miran. His brother-in-law, Moshe Lavi, told me after more than two years apart, it was for Omri's children they kept the hope alive. And we
know, we saw photos of him today playing with his children. They are being together finally. And now, the moment they've been waiting for, Omri seen
playing with his two young girls. His youngest daughter, Alma, was just six months old when Omri was taken hostage. Tonight, she and her sister, Alma,
are once again wrapping in the loving arms -- wrapped in the loving arms of their father. Beautiful moment.
That does it for us for tonight. Do stay right here. "What We Know" of Max Foster is up next. I shall see you tomorrow. Have a wonderful day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
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