Israel and its allies announced a major development this week: reports say all 20 of the remaining living Israeli hostages held in Gaza were handed over as part of a ceasefire that appears to end the two-year war. Families who have lived in terror for years are finally seeing their loved ones returned, and the images of reunions underscore the human cost of the terror that began on October 7, 2023.
The truce is reportedly being implemented alongside a massive prisoner exchange and a humanitarian surge into Gaza, with Israel preparing to release roughly 2,000 Palestinian detainees while allowing aid convoys into the enclave. International officials say the flow of aid and returns of bodies will be coordinated over days, a tense and complicated process that underscores how messy peace can be after such brutality.
President Trump’s diplomacy is being credited with brokering the agreement and moving leaders to the negotiating table, and his rapid visit to the region demonstrates that strong American leadership matters when the chips are down. Conservatives should celebrate any American-led effort that brings hostages home and forces an end to open conflict, but we must also insist that these deals secure long-term safety, not just temporary headlines.
Let’s be honest about who committed these crimes: Hamas is a genocidal terror organization that kidnapped more than 200 people in the October 7 assault, many of whom were murdered or died in captivity. Those facts aren’t partisan talking points; they are the reason Israel fought to dismantle Hamas’ capability to strike again.
Americans should also be skeptical about the mass release of prisoners back into the Palestinian territories — some reports say hundreds with serious sentences are among those freed — because naive goodwill without rigorous security guarantees is how terror networks regenerate. We can be for humanitarian aid and the safe return of hostages without pretending the other side is innocent; accountability, monitoring, and de-radicalization must be non-negotiable conditions.
The international community must be held to the same standards we demand of ourselves: ensure aid doesn’t prop up jihadist networks, insist on demilitarization of Hamas, and back Israel’s right to defend its citizens. Washington should keep its boots on the ground diplomatically and keep pressure on allies to deliver meaningful enforcement mechanisms, not just press releases and photo ops.
This moment is a reminder to hardworking Americans that strength and clarity of purpose win results. Stand with the families who suffered, support tough policies that keep terrorists contained, and demand that our leaders turn this fragile pause into a lasting security architecture for Israel and the region.
