Israel Celebrates Hostage Release
“On the wall it was written: ‘Am Israel Chai’ (The People of Israel Live)!” Israel’s Prime Minister said in an address to IDF troops on Sunday.
“We are here in the Gaza Strip with our heroic soldiers — we are making every effort to return our hostages, and in the end we will return them all,” promised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an address to IDF troops in Gaza on Sunday.
PM Netanyahu was Israel’s first Prime Minister to visit Gaza in nearly two decades.
Israel implemented a unilateral disengagement plan from the Gaza Strip in 2005. This initiative involved the complete withdrawal of Israeli military forces and the evacuation of all Israeli settlements from Gaza. It was a significant move aimed at ending Israel’s direct control over the Gaza Strip and transferring governance to the Palestinian Authority.
It was also a major concession to the Palestinian Authority by Israel’s government.
Under this “Peace” plan, Israel dismantled all Israeli settlements in Gaza and withdrew its military presence, including soldiers and settlers. The disengagement was a contentious and emotionally charged process within Israel, prompting intense political debates and protests among those who supported and opposed the withdrawal.