Reactions after the ceasefire in Gaza

International & Hebrew Media:

British writer David Hearst:
• In Gaza, the Palestinian people’s determination to remain on their land—even as it turned to rubble—was the decisive factor in this war.
• This is a remarkable achievement considering that the area, merely 360 square kilometers, was entirely cut off from the world, with no allies to break the siege and no natural terrain to aid in hiding.
• Neither enforced famine, cold, disease, nor brutal oppression by invaders broke their determination to remain on their land.

Hilal Biton Rosen, journalist at Israel’s Channel 14 :
“Who would have believed that the days following the horrific massacre committed against us on October 7, that less than a year and a half later, we would be humiliated by those who carried it out, submit to them, and give them exactly and all what they demanded while we only to get back a small group of those brutally kidnapped from us.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken:
“Hamas cannot be defeated through military solutions, and what is happening in northern Gaza is evidence of this.”

Israeli journalist Ziv Rubinstein:
“If Yahya Sinwar were alive today, he would be the father of the Arab nation.”

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper:
“Netanyahu has failed politically, and the military and its chief of staff have failed militarily after 15 months of war.”

Alon Mizrahi:
“Hamas is a legend to future generations. They have triumphed over us and even over the West and stood firm in the confrontation.”

Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth Ahronoth:
“There’s no need to sugarcoat the reality: the emerging agreement is bad for Israel, but we had no choice but to accept it.
The state, deeply embroiled in a dangerous and complex event since October 7, bears a moral obligation to its citizens who were captured or the soldiers who were left unprotected.
However, this does not exempt us from facing the bleak future awaiting us after this, amidst many gaps in the ongoing agreement.
After 15 months of war, the military has not been able to dismantle Hamas’ armed wing, nor has the political leadership made an effort to establish an alternative government in Gaza. As a result, an agreement is being reached where we are paying a high price.”

Kan Israeli Broadcasting Authority:
“In the past hours, Hamas is meticulously reviewing every word in the agreement—not just the words and minor details but also the placement of words in sentences and their possible interpretations, to avoid deception or manipulation.”

Amir Buhbut:
“Do you really think Hamas is afraid of Trump? If so, then why are they taking their time to respond?!”

General Giora Eiland:
“The war on Gaza is a major failure because it did not achieve its objectives. The same deal could have been reached in May without another 120 Israeli soldiers being killed.”

Ariel Kahana’s Page:
“In reality, one can criticize the ‘Israeli army’ for the fact that Hamas remains strong 15 months after October 7.”

Hadeshot Lo Tsenzura (Uncensored News):
2023 | Netanyahu: There will be no Hamas presence in Gaza.
2025 | Netanyahu: We are waiting for Hamas’ response to the ceasefire proposal.

Channel 14 Israeli Correspondent:
A senior officer in the Southern Command responds to the deal: “Everything we did in the war will go to waste.”

i24NEWS Channel:
• Hamas succeeded in preventing Israel from gaining a foothold in Gaza, and thus, we failed to achieve the war’s objectives.
• Hamas is moving forward in governing Gaza, which means Israel did not achieve its war aims or change the reality in the region.

Oded Eliam, former head of Mossad Operations Division:
“We must honestly admit that we did not achieve the main goal of the war, which was to eliminate Hamas’ military capabilities.
While there are achievements, they are partial. We must not delude ourselves—the majority of Gazans support Hamas.”

Military Analyst Yoav Zitun:
“Hamas will remain active and resilient, posing a long-term military threat through its tunnels, which have become a part of its extended military infrastructure, stretching tens of kilometers underground for storing weapons and training operatives.”

Member of the Knesset Tzvi Sukkot, Religious Zionism Party:
“There’s a high chance we’ll withdraw from the government, and we’ll meet today to decide.”
He also said: “The deal is catastrophic and an Israeli surrender to Hamas.”

Yedioth Ahronoth Newspaper – Yoav Zitun:
“Hamas still possesses tens of kilometers of tunnels that the Israeli military has not yet uncovered in Gaza.
Estimates indicate a lack of intelligence, especially in central and southern Gaza. Hamas can use these tunnels to resume partial production of weapons like rockets and mortars, as well as to hide thousands of weapons and combat equipment still in its possession, in addition to protecting its senior leaders.”

Hebrew Media:
“In Israeli prisons, measures are being taken to prevent scenes of victory signs from Palestinian prisoners during transfers. Prisoners will likely be transported in buses with tinted or no upper windows to prevent such displays.”

Professor Uzi Rabi, Dayan Center for Middle East Studies:
“Israel has entered a dangerous slope by signing the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
It will be challenging to return to war after six weeks. Hamas has a systematic strategy to end the war and stand on its feet.
We should not rely on the significant damage in Gaza or the number of casualties.
Hamas is a resistance movement and will rebuild itself no matter how long it takes.
We must consider Israel’s ability to return to combat after allowing a million Gazans to return to the north.
As long as the captives remain in Hamas’ hands, it holds a position of power.
Israel will not be able to achieve decisive military objectives, as seen in Syria”

Retired Israeli General Amir Avivi, to The Wall Street Journal:
“We are in a situation where Hamas’ speed in rebuilding itself is faster than Israel’s ability to uproot it.”

Senior Israeli Security Official to Yedioth Ahronoth:
“When you read the agreement details and its annexes, it feels like questions are kicking you in the gut.”

Journalist Yossi Yehoshua, Walla News:
“There’s no need to analyze the fact that the ceasefire deal and prisoner release are bad for Israel, but Israel has no choice but to accept them.”

US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew, to The Times of Israel:
“What I told people is that what they should fear when this war ends is that this generation’s memory doesn’t extend to Israel’s founding, the Six-Day War, or the Yom Kippur War—not even the Intifada. It begins with this war, ‘Al-Aqsa Flood,’ and one cannot ignore the war’s impact on future decision-makers.”

Micha Kobe, former official in Israel’s Shin Bet:
• The agreed deal does not represent the ideal solution for Israel; rather, it is one of the worst deals ever made.
• This deal came as a result of a series of Israeli failures that made it difficult to handle this sensitive matter.
• Israel clearly failed to protect its soldiers and settlers in captivity, ultimately forcing it to pay a hefty price for their release.
• A major issue with this deal is the ambiguity surrounding the fate of captives. Until now, it’s unclear who among them is alive or who will be returned as a body. Hamas is skillfully exploiting this ambiguity, further increasing public tension and anxiety in Israel.
• What has occurred is a huge success in Hamas’ view; they believe they have triumphed by recruiting more people under heavy attack, clinging to their demands from Israel, and not conceding them.

Israeli National Security Minister Ben Gvir:
“Hamas has not yet been defeated, and we have not achieved the war’s objectives.”
Ben Gvir: “From what I’ve seen of the celebrations in Gaza, we know which side surrendered.”

Israel Hayom Newspaper:
“The ceasefire agreement Netanyahu committed to is a resounding failure.”

Former Israeli Navy Commander, Reserve Major General Eliezer ‘Cheni’ Marom:
“For 15 months, we were unable to achieve any of the war’s objectives. On the day we signed the deal, Hamas was still in control of the entire Gaza Strip—the military and political plan was flawed.”