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The Gaza War Is Over

(Amit Segal) Amit Segal - After 734 days, Israel and Hamas have struck an agreement to end the war and return the hostages home. For now, Israel will retain control of more than half of Gaza. Further talks will be based on the principle of more Israeli withdrawals in return for demilitarization. But Hamas is unlikely to disarm willingly. This is not peace, and Hamas is still Israel's bitter enemy. It has simply been brought to its knees. This deal proves that military pressure brings hostages home. What made Hamas cave? One factor is the existential threat it now faces. Secondly, the push into Gaza City made Hamas realize the hostages weren't as valuable as it thought. Like the Yom Kippur War, a war that began with a surprise attack on Israeli soil ends beyond the enemy's lines. An honest reckoning will show a victory greater than it may appear through the unbearable pain of war. After two years of war, Gaza lies in ruins. Hamas no longer threatens Israelis, and if Israel resists the temptation to return to its old habits of restraint, it will not rise again. Iran has been dealt a severe blow, and its nuclear project crippled. Hizbullah is taking hits daily and no longer dares fire even a single mortar at the Jewish state. For the first time, there is real hope that children living near the Gaza border will grow up without sirens and rocket alerts every few weeks. For the first time in two generations, the security of Israeli citizens matters more than the exact line of the international border in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. In the War of Independence, 1% of Israel's population was killed, yet everyone understood that it ended in victory. This war, too, will be remembered the same way. The writer is the political commentator of Israel's Channel 12 news.
2025-10-12 00:00:00
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