After two years of horrific war, Hamas today released all 20 living Israeli hostages as part of a ceasefire agreement under which Israel is to free 250 Palestinians from its jails, including some who murdered Israelis, and 1,700 Gazans seized during the fighting.
The remains of 25 Israeli hostages who died in captivity are to be handed over under President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for ending the war, although he indicated today that the number could be smaller. The remains of 15 Gazans are to be exchanged for the remains of each Israeli.
In other key elements of the ceasefire that went into effect on Saturday, Israeli troops pulled back from most cities and towns in Gaza but remain inside the territory and food, medical and other desperately needed humanitarian aid is being rushed into the territory.
Trump said in a speech to the Israeli parliament today Israel had achieved all it could in Gaza militarily and that it was time for it to “translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.”
Later today, Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi will co-host a summit of Arab leaders in Egypt to formalize the plan for ending the war.
Much about Trump’s plan remains vague, however.
It refers to local governance, an interim peacekeeping force and massive rebuilding program for Gaza but provides no details.
Israel’s insistence that Hamas be disarmed and play no political role is certain to be a sticking point. Although most of its leaders and many of its fighters were killed, Hamas survived the fighting as a cohesive force.
The other major sticking point is Israel’s opposition to steps in Gaza and the West Bank toward the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Regional peace is a distant prospect and may not be attained even if Trump continually remains engaged in seeing through his Gaza plan.
No travel to Gaza can be sanctioned for the foreseeable future. Personnel may undertake routine travel to Israel but should take serious precautions against terrorism, particularly in Jerusalem, and should avoid the West Bank completely.
