Statements On Deal To End War Between Israel & Hamas

With news of a possible ceasefire and the release of remaining hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, several local and national Jewish organizations have released statements. Click on the name below to navigate to a statement from Jewish organizations. More will be added as they are received.

Jewish Community Relations Council

We emphatically welcome the diplomatic breakthrough achieved between Israel and Hamas.
It is with great relief that Jews across the world see light finally breaking through the dark cloud of uncertainty that has hung over us for the past two years as this painful war has dragged on.
We are clear-eyed that this is just the beginning of the healing process and the true end of this conflict. Durable peace and security demand more than this first step; they require courage and structural change.
Still, one truth remains: the ceaseless fight of the Jewish people to bring our captives home endures — and today, it has borne fruit.
Today we honor the courage and suffering of both the living and the deceased who are finally returning home. We also stand with the bereaved families of the soldiers who fell defending Israel, and we grieve every innocent life lost. In Jewish tradition, the loss of one life is the loss of a world.
Justice and accountability must guide what comes next. Those who planned and carried out these horrific acts of terror must face consequences, even as we begin to rebuild what they tried to destroy.
As this agreement takes effect, we pray that all parties uphold their commitments. True peace means a safe and secure Israel in a region that upholds the dignity of every human life.
As we say in remembrance of the victims of the Nova Festival, “Soon we will dance again.”

Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

Today, we share in the relief and hope felt across Israel and around the world. The agreement to bring every remaining hostage home is a long-awaited moment of light after so much darkness.

Our hearts are with the families — in Israel and here in Cincinnati — who have prayed, advocated, and waited for this day for two long years. This is just the beginning, a fragile but hopeful step toward healing, security, and peace for our people and for every innocent life touched by this war.

Rabbinical Assembly and USCJ

The Rabbinical Assembly and USCJ celebrate the reports of the agreement to bring home the hostages and end the war in Gaza.
While we still await their return, we are grateful for President Donald Trump’s leadership in prioritizing this cause and brokering this agreement. We thank him for his commitment to securing the safety of the hostages and other innocent lives – both Israeli and Palestinian – while working to eliminate the threat of Hamas to Israel and the world. His efforts, supported by many others in the international community, have created a critical opening for peace.

We commend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the difficult choices he has made to secure the release of the hostages. The decision to bring home those held in captivity reflects the highest Jewish value of pikuah nefesh—the preservation of life. We stand in solidarity with the families who have suffered in anguish for nearly two years, pray for the physical and spiritual healing of their loved ones, and welcome the return of those hostages who were killed in captivity. We also offer support and comfort to those families who suffered grievous losses at the hands of Palestinian terrorists who will be freed as part of this deal.

We hold out hope that this can lead to a lasting peace in which generations of Israelis and Palestinians can live with security and dignity. As we pray each day, “Sim Shalom Ba’Olam – Grant peace to the world: goodness and blessing, grace, love, and compassion to us and all the people Israel.”

J Street

After two years of heartbreaking bloodshed, we are deeply relieved that the remaining Israeli hostages will soon return home and that this devastating war may finally be drawing to a close. Today marks the beginning of the relief that an overwhelming majority of Israelis have long demanded and that the Palestinian people in Gaza so desperately need.

This agreement is a vital first step toward lasting peace, but immense work remains to turn this fragile beginning into a durable resolution of this conflict.

We commend the American, Qatari, Egyptian and Turkish mediators whose tireless diplomacy made this breakthrough possible.
Now, the parties must implement this agreement in good faith and take bold, sustained steps toward realizing the full US-backed 20-point plan – one that ensures Israel’s security, ends Hamas’s reign of terror, delivers a massive surge of humanitarian aid and sets the region on a path toward a comprehensive and permanent peace.

We urge all parties to seize this moment of hope with courage, accountability and commitment to steadfast diplomacy to ensure that this ceasefire becomes not just an end to the war but a beginning of peace.”

AIPAC

This is an extraordinary moment for America, Israel and the world. The enduring partnership between the United States and our ally Israel over the past two years enabled this diplomatic breakthrough and a just conclusion to the terrible war Hamas started on October 7: freeing the hostages, disarming Hamas and removing the terror group from power in Gaza. This peace deal creates a tremendous opportunity to forge a better future for Israelis, Palestinians, and people across the Middle East.

AIPAC applauds President Trump and his negotiating team for this tremendous achievement and for working together with Israel to broker this peace plan. We deeply appreciate the moral clarity and steadfast support from the overwhelming majority of Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, who stood with the Jewish state throughout this war and ensured Israel had the resources it needed to achieve its objectives against Hamas.

Hamas started this war on October 7 with one of the most barbaric assaults imaginable. Since then, the Iranian-backed terror group has proceeded to use Palestinians in Gaza as human shields for its maniacal war against the Jewish state, bringing terrible death, destruction and humanitarian crises to Gaza.

We celebrate this moment even as we mourn the innocent lives that have been lost because of Hamas’ savagery. Now, America and the world must be vigilant to ensure that Hamas adheres to the terms and implementation of the peace plan.

The horror of October 7 must never again be repeated. Tonight, our hearts are with the hostage families who have endured so much over the past 733 days, the heroes who fought so valiantly to defend their nation over the past two years, and all the people of Israel.

American Jewish Committee

Hope is finally within reach.

We welcome President Trump’s announcement of a deal to free the hostages and begin to end the war. As we await the details, we look forward to the day we can finally say every hostage is home. We are grateful to the President and his Administration for their leadership in helping bring about this pivotal moment.

Jewish Federation of North America

Jewish Federations celebrate the exciting news of the deal between Israel and Hamas to return all the remaining hostages home and end the war. The plan, developed by President Trump and his team, and the announcement of an agreement tonight by the president, is the fulfillment of our prayers and greatest hopes since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

For two years, our hearts have ached alongside the families of the captives. We have prayed, rallied, and spoken their names, refusing to let the world forget them. Today, our prayers are answered—not completely, for the pain of loss remains—but with the long-awaited promise of healing, renewal, and hope.

Throughout this ordeal, we have witnessed the incredible resilience of both the Israeli people and our Jewish community here at home. We look forward to the deal’s full implementation and the return of every last hostage home.

We extend our sincere appreciation to President Trump and his administration for their tireless efforts in helping to bring about this historic agreement and for their ongoing dedication to peace.

Am Yisrael Chai!