WhatsappAn agreement was finally reached overnight between Hamas and Israel to finalize the list of hostages and their status as well as the release of Arbel Yehoud and soldier Agam Berger and third hostage later this week. In return, Israel has partially pulled out of the Neitzarim corridor to allow for Gazans that are unarmed to return back north.
Hamas not only arranged for the release of the above hostages, but they finally updated the status of the hostages on the list. So far eight of the hostages set to be released in the first stage of the deal are dead. Israel has updated the families but not publicizing the names.
The Gazans will return north after they pass through a search carried out by a private American security firm. 650,000 Gazans are expected to return to the Northern part of the Gaza Strip. Hamas is claiming that this return counts as a victory for the group.
Given the widespread destruction of the northern part of the Gaza Strip, it is hard to see how Hamas can claim this is a victory. Most of the returnees will find their homes destroyed and whole communities leveled. Will they think this is a Hamas victory? Perhaps the Gazans themselves will accept President Trump’s desire to transfer them to Egypt or Jordan instead of waiting indefinitely in the rubble of Gaza.
Then again, as recently released Liri Albag said, “there are 2 million terrorists in Gaza.” Given that truth, most of the Gazans going north would rather die in the rubble of their destroyed homes than move somewhere else. Any future of Gaza must not shy away from the reality that Hamas and the populace it rules are one and the same and no amount of good will has the power to change that. Whether President Trump is serious or not about transferring the Gazans elsewhere, for their to be real peace - that remains the only actual solution - all else will end in further terror and bloodshed.
