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This Week:

• A Day of Hope

• Thank You to President Trump and His Team

• Peace Prize for Trump!

• RJC in the News

• Week's Best Tweets

• Upcoming Events

A Day of Hope

After 733 days of war and pain, the people of Israel now have a day of hope. Yesterday evening, President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of his peace plan.

What you need to know:

• The deal was signed today in Egypt, where mediators have worked for several days to conclude the agreement. The Israeli Cabinet approved the deal tonight.

• Within 24 hours of the Israeli government's formal approval of the deal, the IDF is expected to retreat to agreed-upon deployment lines, which will see the army remain in control of just over half of the Strip's territory, or 53 percent.

• The IDF will retain control of a buffer zone along the entire Gaza border, including the Philadelphi Corridor — the Egypt-Gaza border area — along with Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya in the Strip's far north, a ridge on the eastern outskirts of Gaza City, and large portions of Rafah and Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

• Within 72 hours of the IDF's retreat, Hamas is set to release the 48 hostages it is holding, beginning with the 20 believed to be alive. The terror group has, in the past, told mediators it does not know where some of the bodies of slain hostages are located, which may delay the release of some of the bodies.

• Living hostages will be handed over to the Red Cross and transferred to Israeli forces inside Gaza. From there they will be taken to the Re'im military base near the border for an initial medical assessment and family reunions, then to hospitals in Israel. Read more about the process here.

• The 20 living hostages expected to be released are: Matan Angrist, Ziv Berman, Gali Berman, Elkana Bohbot, Rom Breslavski, Nimrod Cohen, Ariel Cunio, David Cunio, Evitar David, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Maxim Harkin, Eitan Horn, Segev Kalfon, Bar Kuperstein, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, Yosef Haim Ohana, Alon Ohel, Avinatan Or, and Matan Tsangoker.

• The bodies of dead hostages are set to be received by Israeli troops in Gaza, where a small ceremony, led by a military rabbi, will be held in their honor. The caskets are also to be examined by sappers "for security purposes," according to the IDF. The bodies will then be taken to forensic institutions for identification.

• The first phase of the deal includes the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails: 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and some 1,700 people detained from Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023 but who were not involved in the Oct. 7 attack.

Thank You to President Trump and His Team

The Republican Jewish Coalition said in a public statement last night:

The Republican Jewish Coalition is profoundly grateful to President Donald J. Trump for his righteous leadership, courage, and unwavering determination to secure the release of every hostage held in Gaza and end the war that Hamas started on October 7th.

We also applaud the incredible efforts of President Trump's team, particularly Vice President JD Vance, Secretary Marco Rubio, Ambassador Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner.

President Trump shouldn't just win the Nobel Prize—it should be renamed after him.

After 734 days, this comprehensive agreement ushers in a new dawn for the Middle East, reaffirms the unbreakable alliance between the United States and Israel, and advances trailblazing opportunities for expanding the circle of peace throughout the region.

Let there be no doubt: President Trump continues to show why he is THE most pro-Israel President in history. Time and again he has stood resolutely with the Jewish state when other weak-kneed leaders cowardly backed away.

We pray that this agreement will bring lasting peace to the Middle East for generations to come.

We extend our sincere congratulations and gratitude to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has led Israel though this dark and difficult period and built the foundations for a lasting peace through the Abraham Accords and the current Gaza plan.

We are proud and thankful for the Israeli armed forces and security forces, professionals and reservists, who have carried this terrible war for two years. Their families and communities have borne the burden of their extended absences. We note that since the start of Israel's Operation Iron Swords in response to the Oct. 7 invasion by Hamas and other terrorists, over 466 IDF soldiers have given their lives in battle. May their memories be a blessing.

We are buoyed by hope that we will see all the hostages return to their families in the next few days, the long-awaited end to the terrible suffering they and their families have endured.

Two years ago, October 8 marked the first day of a new reality for Israel as the shocking and horrifying impact of the Oct. 7 attack was understood. It was a time of mourning and of war, but it was also a time of unity and resolution in Israel.

This year, October 8 again marks a new reality for Israel. It is our prayer that this new reality will see healing, comfort, unity, and true peace for the Israeli people.

Peace Prize for Trump!

For all his peace-making efforts – and especially for his tremendous leadership in bringing peace to the Middle East - many people believe that President Donald Trump should receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The JTA reports:

"I call on the Nobel committee to award President Trump the Nobel Peace Prize. He did something unbelievable," Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said in a video statement on Thursday.

"President Trump shouldn't just win the Nobel Prize — it should be renamed after him," said the Republican Jewish Coalition in a statement.

Tomorrow morning, the Norwegian Nobel Committee will announce the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. President Trump has been nominated by at least two people this year, one of whom was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who told the President, "It's well deserved, and you should get it."

RJC in the News

RJC National Chairman Senator Norm Coleman appeared on NewsMax today to talk about the historic potential for peace in the Middle East in President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza. Watch here.

RJC National Political Director Sam Markstein has been hitting the airwaves, doing several radio interviews over the last couple of days to discuss the Israel-Hamas war and the prospects for peace, two years after the October 7 attack.

You can listen to him here:

• KRLA-AM The Answer, "The Morning Answer Show with Jennifer Horn and GrantStinchfield," October 7.

• KMZQ The RIGHT TALK, "The Kevin Wall Show", October 7.

• SiriusXM POTUS, "The Briefing with Steve Scully," with Guest Host Brian Ross, October 9.

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Thank you!

Tweets

Events

All RJC offices will be closed on October 14-15 in observance of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Chag sameach!