From the Liveblog of
Monday, October 13, 2025
MK Ayman Odeh, upon hostage release, says ‘joy is mixed with pain’
Ariela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
Arab-Israeli MK Ayman Odeh, chair of the Hadash-Ta’al party, welcomes the release of the first seven Israeli hostages as part of the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but says his “joy is mixed with pain.”
“We have fought for two years for this moment, for the end of the war and a comprehensive deal. We are happy, but our joy is mixed with pain, because of the terrible crimes that were committed and the tunnels of blood our land has absorbed,” he says in a statement, referring to Israel’s war in Gaza — launched in response to the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks in which the hostages were abducted — of which Odeh has been highly critical.
The leader of the left-wing Arab-majority opposition party adds that Israel and the Palestinians must “continue the struggle” to achieve a peaceful resolution to the wider conflict, end the occupation — referring to Israel’s ongoing military control of the West Bank — and respect the rights of both peoples.
The Times of Israel Community.