It’s Thursday, October 9, and as I drove to work this morning, I heard something strange on the radio, and then I realized: for the first time in 734 days, I was hearing pure, unrestrained joy. Finally, Israel and Hamas have struck an agreement to end the war and return the hostages home.
There’s a lot to discuss here, and it’s very much still a developing situation, so let’s go through what you need to know. As of writing, the deal was set to be signed at midday Israel time, with the ceasefire in Gaza going into effect once Benjamin Netanyahu’s government approves it this evening.
According to Donald Trump, the hostages will come home on Monday, including “the bodies of the dead.” Others, however, have suggested that they may return to Israel as early as Saturday or Sunday. Unfortunately, it currently appears that there are eight or nine bodies of dead hostages that Hamas simply cannot find, and as a result, they will not be returned to Israel.
So, what happens once the hostages whose locations are known are home? There’s no phase two of the deal, that’s for sure. Yes, phase two might happen someday, but it’s unrelated to what’s just been signed, which is a hostage release deal—and one that doesn’t say anything about the future.