White House Roundup
Thursday October 9, 2025
Israeli Hostages to be Released from Gaza
President Donald Trump was thanked by multitudes around the world, but especially in Israel and in Gaza as a victorious peace maker after securing a deal to release of Israeli hostages: the living (20), and the deceased (28), from Hamas’s captivity on Wednesday October 8th with the goal of ending the war.
The term to release the hostages comes at the two-year point of the war between Israel and Hamas after the October 7th terrorist attack in 2023. Hamas killed Israelis, Americans, and others from other countries who were in the locations during their vicious terror attack.
The release is in Phase One of the 20 Point Peace Plan, President Trump laid out nearly two weeks ago.
During the Cabinet Meeting with officials on Thursday, including the Vice President J D Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum, they all praised the president for his historic achievement and moves towards ending the war.
Secretary Rubio offered that President Trump leveraged his personal relationships with Muslim and Arab leaders. He added that this was a huge accomplishment and that there was no other world leader or US president in the modern era that could have done this. He reflected that this came in the wake of the president’s visit to the Middle East a few months ago.
Secretary Rubio also submitted that what took a turn was when President Trump, along with the US delegation met with his Arab counterparts at the United Nations, in New York where they developed the Plan. He calls it a human story, while it does have a geopolitical component to it. The President, according to Rubio, used the credibility, power and prestige of this office to help bring out the 20 living hostages from the tunnels.
For his part, President Trump thanked all the officials, including Vice President Vance, US negotiators, foreign leaders and others who worked to make the peace possible. He emphasized that Israel must get their hostages back.
The president has accepted the official invitation from Israel to speak at the Kenesset in days to come. President Trump is also likely to go to Egypt.
In looking at the other phases the president argued that the US will work with wealthy countries in the rebuilding of Gaza.
Ice Breakers from Finland
Finally, in the Oval Office when President Trump hosted President Alexander Stubb, and Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, along with other delegates from Finland also on Thursday, the Finish president congratulated President Trump on his making peace in the Middle East. He also looks forward to peace between Russia and Ukraine. Finland shares a very long border with Russia.
President Stubb visited the White House to conclude transactions to provide the US with 11 Ice Breakers. This deal which is worth billions of dollars will see Finland making four Ice Breakers in Finland and seven of them will be made in the United States. President Stubb indicated that the first Ice Breaker will be delivered in 2028.
Written by and Photos of the day by Cherub Nicholls. Note one photo was a scree shot from YouTube during the Oval Office Meeting.