The Return of the Hostages and the Peace Deal

This morning, the citizens of Israel awoke to thrilling news. Finally, after two years of intense fighting and a deeply painful period since the national catastrophe we experienced on Oct. 7, 2023, an agreement was signed to release the hostages and end the war.

In Israel, of course, the overwhelming majority welcome the deal, despite the significant price Israel will be required to pay, foremost among them the release of thousands of murderers with Jewish blood on their hands. However, there is no alternative, this is the price we must pay as a democratic state which, unlike the nations around us, demonstrates a genuine concern for the lives of its citizens and willingness to pay a heavy price for it.

There are many details of the agreement that are still to be finalized, including the issues of Hamas disarmament, the demilitarization of Gaza and a change in governance. Despite this, President Trump, who played the central role in achieving the agreement and the return of our hostages, declared that a new era is beginning in the Middle East and that this was a great day for “peace.”

On this point, I differ somewhat from President Trump. Whilst his intentions are entirely honorable, and he deserves the highest of accolades, peace will not arrive so quickly in the Middle East, to my great regret. Why?

Unfortunately, 30 years of experience as an officer and soldier in the IDF, having to fight repeated battles with jihadist groups sworn to our destruction, has taught me this. Ultimately, as the Palestinian Authority continue to pay salaries to murderers and as long as there are Arab leaders who glorify terror and educate their children toward “armed resistance,” denying the State of Israel’s right to exist, there can be no peace.

As long as Iran, and now Turkey, call for Israel’s destruction, and as long as Qatar continues to fund al Jazeera, which serves as a propaganda arm for terror organizations and spreads incitement throughout the Arab world and the West, there can be no peace.

And I am not very optimistic regarding the disarmament of Hamas either. Hamas has proven its ability to survive and, like Hezbollah in Lebanon, it will not be quick to surrender its weapons, realizing that the threats to its movement’s members are numerous and significant — not only from Israel, but from within the Palestinian population that was brutally suppressed by the Hamas regime during its almost 20 years of rule in the Gaza Strip.

At the same time however, I also have a sense of optimism. Why? Because as a nation, the return of the hostages is expected to begin a deep healing process within us, the Israeli people, and to write a new chapter in our people’s story of resilience and rebirth.

In the meantime, Israel will, always, continue to strive for peace – with all our neighbors. The situation on the Northern front has changed, and the signing of the agreement in Gaza might assist in signing agreements with Syria and even Lebanon.

One of the central lessons from Oct. 7 must be that we can never close our eyes to the threats around us, and must act before those who seek to harm us have a chance. 

While I am overjoyed at the return of our hostages and their reunification with their families, I am also pragmatic that real peace will take far more than a single agreement: it will require changed minds, changed institutions, deradicalization and continued vigilance. 

Eyal Dror is a Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) in the Israel Defense Forces, where has served for over 30 years, predominantly in COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories), including as Head of Operations. Currently, Eyal is a writer and analyst on Middle East foreign policy and national security.