The return of the last Israeli hostage ends the more than two years captivity crisis, yet leaves Israel facing an unresolved and deeply uncertain Gaza.
A Moment of Mourning and Relief
After 844 days, the clock counting the days of captivity of the Israeli hostages was finally switched off in Tel Aviv. The clock installed at Hostages’ Square became, over the past two years, a symbol of the grief- and hope-filled waiting endured by Israeli families. The display did not only show the number of days, hours, and minutes the hostages were held in brutal captivity, but also reflected the fact that for the families of those taken to Gaza—and for much of the country—time practically stopped on 7 October 2023. More than two years and three months had to pass before, with the repatriation of the body of Ran Gvili on Monday—as the very last case—all hostages could finally be brought home.
On the morning of 7 October 2023, thousands of Hamas terrorists breached Israel’s southern border from the Gaza Strip in a coordinated and unprecedented attack. Entire communities were overrun, civilians were massacred in their homes, at bus stops, and at a music festival. Children, elderly people, women, and men were indiscriminately targeted. By the end of the day, more than 1,200 people were murdered, and 251 civilians and soldiers were forcibly abducted and dragged into Gaza.
Of the 251 people abducted, only 166 were able to return alive. Thus, for the first time since 2014, there are no Israeli hostages in the hands of a Gaza-based terrorist organization. 7 October 2023, and the more than two-year-long hostage ordeal constitute a shared trauma for this generation of Israelis—one whose processing can now, at least, finally begin.
After the clock was turned off at Hostages’ Square, the gathered crowd sang HaTikva, the Israeli national anthem. Afterwards, survivors and family members of the deceased took to the stage to say a few words. Speaking to the crowd, Ran Gvili’s sister, Shira, expressed a bittersweet sense of relief. ‘On 7 October, our clock stopped…Now we can really stop the clock,’ she said.
What Comes Next?
According to the ceasefire agreement signed last October, the immediate release of all Israeli hostages was a prerequisite for the parties to move forward. The ‘immediate’ release, however, turned into mid-January, as the terrorist organization made little effort to adhere to the agreement, using the delay to buy time. For what purpose?
For survival. The next major step of the ceasefire would be for Hamas to lay down its weapons and abandon armed resistance and attacks against Israel. In return, members of the terrorist organization would receive amnesty.
‘Hamas…had already made it clear earlier that it is unwilling to disarm under these terms’
Hamas, however, had already made it clear earlier that it is unwilling to disarm under these terms. Despite this, the Trump team that brokered the agreement remains optimistic, believing that the organization will soon realize it is better to voluntarily lay down its arms. It remains unclear what coercive measures Washington would use if this does not happen. American troops will certainly not be deployed to Gaza, and the newly established International Stabilization Forces would have only a peacekeeping mandate.
Israel is therefore more sceptical and maintains the possibility that, if necessary, it will carry out the ‘dirty work’ itself and demilitarize Gaza by military force.
‘Now we are focusing on completing the two remaining missions: dismantling Hamas’s weapons and demilitarizing Gaza of arms and tunnels,’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke after the last Israeli hostage was brought home.
While the Israeli prime minister emphasized that the time is not yet right for reconstruction, but rather for demilitarization, Hamas may agree only to a partial and temporary ceasefire. The situation appears to represent the most serious test yet of the 20-point peace plan presented by Trump last year.
Because without demilitarization, there can be no reconstruction. Even though the ambitious Board of Peace was formed, no one will invest significant sums into a reconstruction project in the presence of an active, armed terrorist organization—one that could see the entire effort destroyed at any moment by an Israeli intervention. The terrorist organization therefore has a prime opportunity to prove that the fate of Palestinians truly comes first for it, and that it will not obstruct the start of reconstruction.
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