Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter tells CNN that living hostages held by Hamas will be released on Sunday or Monday — with a 72-hour clock for Hamas to make the release beginning once the cabinet meets, Thursday afternoon or evening, to approve the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released in the agreement.
Leiter says that Israel hopes the deal will lead to an end to the war, but this will depend on how well it is implemented.
“We hope it leads to a complete cessation of hostilities and a rebuilding of Gaza for the sake of the Gazans and for the sake of Israel,” he says.
“But it’s the first stage, and we’ve got to see the first stage implemented completely in the next few days.”
Leiter, whose eldest son was killed in the war while serving in the IDF, credits Israeli military pressure with bringing Hamas to the negotiating table after two years of conflict.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 9, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
