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Complex Issues Remain for Israel-Hamas 10/14 06:09
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel and Hamas moved ahead on a key first step of the
tenuous Gaza ceasefire agreement on Monday by freeing hostages and prisoners,
raising hopes that the U.S.-brokered deal might lead to a permanent end to the
two-year war that ravaged the Palestinian territory.
But thornier issues such as whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern
Gaza -- and the question of Palestinian statehood -- remain unresolved,
highlighting the fragility of an agreement that for now only pauses the
deadliest conflict in the history of Israel and the Palestinians.
For Israelis, the release of the 20 remaining living hostages brought
elation and a sense of closure to a war many felt they were forced into by
Hamas, although many pledged to fight on for the return of deceased hostages
still in Gaza. But with the living hostages freed, the urgency with which many
were driven to call for an end to the war will likely diminish, easing pressure
on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance the next phases of the
agreement.
Four deceased hostages were returned to Israel on Monday, and another 24 are
supposed to be turned over as part of the first phase of the ceasefire, which
also requires Israel to allow a surge of food and other humanitarian aid into
Gaza.
While there was an outburst of joy in Gaza for prisoners returning from
Israel and hope that the fighting may wind down for good, the torment drags on
for war-weary Palestinians. Gaza has been decimated by Israeli bombardment;
there is little left of its prewar economy, basic services are in disarray and
many homes have been destroyed. It remains unclear who will pay for
reconstruction, a process that could take years.
Israel says the deal achieves its war objectives
U.S. President Donald Trump traveled to the region to celebrate the deal. In
an address to Israel's parliament, he urged lawmakers to seize a chance for
broader peace in the region. In Egypt, he and other world leaders gathered to
set the trickier parts of the deal into motion.
Netanyahu, who according to his office did not join the meeting in Egypt
because of a Jewish holiday, told parliament that he was committed to the
agreement, saying it "ends the war by achieving all our objectives." Israel had
said it would not end the war until all the hostages were freed and Hamas was
defeated. Critics accused Netanyahu of allowing the war to drag on for
political reasons, which he denied.
The war began with Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack, when militants killed 1,200
people and took 251 captives. Israel's retaliatory campaign killed more than
67,000 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not
differentiate between combatants and civilians in its count. The ministry is
part of the Hamas-run government. Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate
by the U.N. and many independent experts.
The war has rippled across the Middle East, with conflict erupting between
Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah, Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen and Iran
itself.
Israel is elated by the return of the living hostages
Israelis watched with jubilation in public screenings attended by thousands
as the 20 living hostages, all male, reunited with their families. Crowds broke
into cheers, as tears of joy streamed down relieved faces.
"You are alive! Two arms and two legs," said Zvika Mor, upon seeing his son
Eitan for the first time in two years.
When Bar Kupershtein was reunited with his family, his father, Tal, who uses
a wheelchair after a car accident and stroke, fulfilled a promise to himself by
standing up for a few minutes to embrace his freed son.
Unlike previous releases, Hamas held no ceremonies for the captives before
freeing them. Instead, families received video calls from masked militants who
allowed them a first glimpse at their loved ones before they came home.
The plight of the hostages had widespread support in Israel, where thousands
would join the families for weekly protests demanding Israel secure their
release.
The fate of the hostages was a central driver of a movement in Israel to end
the war. Many Israelis viewed Netanyahu's twin goals of freeing the captives
and defeating Hamas as incompatible.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said any delay by Hamas in retuning the
remaining bodies of deceased hostages would be viewed as a violation of the
ceasefire deal.
Israel frees some 1,900 Palestinian prisoners
Large crowds greeted freed prisoners in Beitunia in the Israeli-occupied
West Bank and in Khan Younis in Gaza. The prisoners flashed V-for-victory signs
as they descended from buses that took them either to the West Bank, Gaza or
into exile.
"Praise be to God, our Lord, who has honored us with this release and this
joy," said Mahmoud Fayez, who was returned to Gaza after being detained early
last year in an Israeli raid on the main Shifa Hospital.
The prisoners include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in
attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and
held without charge.
The fate of the prisoners is a sensitive issue in Palestinian society, where
almost everyone knows or is related to someone who has been imprisoned by
Israel. They are viewed by Palestinians as freedom fighters.
Trump celebrates the deal in Israel and Egypt
In his Knesset speech, Trump told Israeli lawmakers their country must now
work toward peace.
"Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms," Trump
said. "Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the
battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire
Middle East."
His speech was briefly interrupted when two Knesset members staged a protest
and were subsequently removed from the chamber. One held up a small sign
reading, "Recognize Palestine."
In Egypt, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Trump attended a summit with
leaders from more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader
Middle East. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who administers parts of the
West Bank, also attended.
Despite Trump's optimism, many thorny issues remain
Among the most difficult issues left to resolve is Israel's insistence that
a weakened Hamas disarm. Hamas refuses to do that and wants to ensure Israel
pulls its troops completely out of Gaza.
So far, the Israeli military has withdrawn from much of Gaza City, the
southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the
southern city of Rafah, towns of Gaza's far north, and along the length of
Gaza's border with Israel.
The future governance of Gaza remains unclear. Under the U.S. plan, an
international body will govern the territory, overseeing Palestinian
technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gaza's government should
be worked out among Palestinians.
The plan envisions an eventual role for Abbas' Palestinian Authority --
something Netanyahu has long opposed -- but it requires the authority to
undergo reforms.
The plan calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along
with Palestinian police. Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces
deploy. About 200 U.S. troops are in Israel to monitor the ceasefire.
The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state,
another nonstarter for Netanyahu.
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