Israel At War Thursday Oct 9

- Ceasefire is now officially in effect

The Israeli government approved the hostage deal.

- The US is sending about 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor Gaza ceasefire deal - AP

-Witkoff congratulated Netanyahu: "The real hard work was that of the Prime Minister. He was the one who had to protect this country. He was the one who had to make tough decisions. I often think about it; it didn't give me peace—what would I do in such situations? Looking back, I think we wouldn't have reached this point if PM Netanyahu hadn't acted as he did. Thank you. These are not just words—even the president believes it. We are here today because Hams had no choice. They had to reach this agreement."

Jared kushner: "I really want to say that none of this would have been possible without the heroism of the IDF and the soldiers – what they accomplished not only in Gaza but also across the entire arena over the past two years: in eliminating Hezbollah in the North and significantly weakening it, and also in what you did in Iran. All of this created a huge impact.

Especially, when you see how your citizen army – I know that for many of you, maybe all of you, you have family members and friends who took part in this effort – sacrificed enormous losses for the country and fought to bring about change, I think it truly made a tremendous difference. I want to express a very special thanks to Prime Minister Netanyahu, who did an outstanding job on this matter and conducted the negotiations in a particularly impressive manner. You stood by your principles, and I think you and President Trump saw eye to eye on the ultimate goal."

- Trump: Some of the bodies of the hostages who are missing will be harder to find and recover - we will do our best

- Trump: "I think it will be a lasting peace. The hostages will be released on Monday or Tuesday; it's complicated to reach everyone. I will go to Egypt to sign the agreement"

- Trump: I have no opinion on the two-state solution. I will go with whatever is agreed upon between the parties.

- Trump. The first thing we will do is get the hostages out of hell. No one thought it was possible. After that, we'll see, I believe it will progress well.

- The main points of the agreement brought for the Israeli government approval: From the moment of approval, IDF forces will deploy to the yellow line within 24 hours. Within 72 hours of the troops deploying on the withdrawal line, 20 live hostages and 28 deceased hostages will be released, of whom four are not Israelis. Only after that will the terrorists be released from Israeli prisons.

-In Israel, preparations are underway for the release of the first hostages as early as Saturday, and a large international force has been established to recover bodies, if Hams announces that it does not know their whereabouts

- According to the hostage deal:

• 250 security prisoners will be released

• 1,700 residents of the Gaza Strip who were not involved in the events of October 7 and were arrested after the massacre will be released.

• 22 minors under the age of 18, residents of the Gaza Strip who were not involved in the events of October 7 and were arrested after the massacre, will be released.

• 360 bodies of terrorists will be returned.

Another important emphasis: A prisoner convicted of murder, manufacturing weapons used for murder, or direct involvement in organizing or sending an attacker who carried out a deadly attack, will be released only to the Gaza Strip or abroad, provided that an immediate ban on entry to Israel and the territories of Judea and Samaria will apply to him.

-  Hospitals in Israel are preparing for the most significant wave yet: the living hostages will undergo a series of comprehensive medical examinations and will be able to stay together in the hospitals

- New details: Extensive IDF preparations for receiving the living hostages and the bodies: IDF Chief of Staff Zamir approved today the plans for the operation to receive the living hostages and the bodies, and commanders in the field conducted an assembly in the reception compound in Re'im in the last 24 hours to ensure its readiness for all scenarios.

Reception of the living hostages: 

1. The living hostages will be transferred from Hams to the Red Cross, and from there to a special IDF unit waiting for them in the Gaza Strip area - at a point to be determined with the Red Cross personnel. It is not certain that these are the same reception points as in the previous release deal.

2. If any hostage is in a complex medical condition, he will not continue by vehicle to Israeli territory; a helicopter on standby inside the Gaza Strip will evacuate him to Soroka Hospital.

3. If a hostage is in a medical condition that allows it, he will continue by vehicle to the reception compound in Re'im, where his immediate family will be waiting, and from there by helicopter to one of three hospitals - Ichilov, Sheba, or Beilinson.

4. The IDF is also preparing for the possibility of releasing all 20 living hostages together; therefore, the Re'im compound has 24 rooms ready and equipped for a broad simultaneous reception.

5. The professional teams accompanying the families recommended that, in the case of living hostages who are fathers of young children, their children should not wait for them in the Re'im compound, but in the hospitals. This is to allow both the children themselves and the returning hostages to process the reception process in the country. However, each family will choose for itself how it wishes to act and where each family member will wait for the returning hostage.

6. According to the agreement, there will be no humiliating release ceremonies by Hams for the returning hostages

7. In the reception compounds, crutches and wheelchairs will be waiting for the hostages in case they have difficulty walking. The IDF still does not know in what condition each hostage will return and is prepared for surprises. Additionally, new clothes in various sizes are being prepared for them (because it is unknown in what condition they will return), as well as additional equipment for initial reception