American-Israeli Soldier Ari Spitz Honored in Knesset Following Gaza Ceasefire Deal

Severely wounded in a bomb explosion in Gaza six months ago, American-Israeli soldier Ari Spitz lost both his legs and one hand and remained in a coma, fighting for his life. On Monday, as a ceasefire deal brought the over two-year-long hostilities to a halt, Spitz stood in the gallery of the Knesset as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded his bravery.

During his speech in the Israeli parliament, Netanyahu turned towards Spitz and shared the story of how he sustained his injuries in Gaza. "He was injured in Gaza while searching for Hamas terrorists and weapons. Two of his fellow soldiers were killed in action, and 10 were injured. Ari was initially presumed dead, but he made a remarkable recovery despite losing three limbs," Netanyahu recounted.

All members present directed their attention to Spitz, and applause erupted as Netanyahu proclaimed, "Ari, you are the spirit of Joshua, the spirit of David, the spirit of the Maccabees. Ari, you are the spirit of Israel. I salute you."

Spitz is considered one of the most severely injured Israeli soldiers to have survived his wounds, having spent approximately six weeks undergoing intensive treatment and recovery in the hospital.

In his address during Israeli Independence Day earlier this year, Spitz recalled that while conducting a routine building search in Gaza in February 2024, his unit discovered a hidden tunnel. Before they could evacuate, explosives in the tunnel detonated. Initially presumed dead, Spritz was evacuated and airlifted to a hospital, where he underwent eight surgeries and received 35 units of blood, according to Israel National News. He remained in an induced coma for six weeks before beginning his challenging journey toward recovery.

Trump and Netanyahu's speeches in the Knesset coincided with Hamas releasing all 20 remaining living hostages as part of a ceasefire agreement ending two years of war that devastated the Gaza Strip, resulting in tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties.

After receiving a prolonged standing ovation from lawmakers, the 79-year-old former president hailed a "historic dawn" for the Middle East and declared the end of a "painful nightmare" with the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal he helped facilitate. "I've been involved in a lot of success. I have never seen anything like what's going on today," the Republican stated, adding that people were "dancing in the streets" about the agreement.

He told the Knesset that Israel had "won all that they can through force of arms" and said it was now time "to translate these victories... into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the Middle East". Netanyahu referred to Trump as the "greatest friend of Israel".