A MAJOR breakthrough that hardworking Americans and our Israeli friends have long prayed for was announced this week: Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of a U.S.-brokered peace plan, a pause in the fighting that begins the hard work of getting hostages home and restoring a measure of security to the region. President Trump personally announced the deal, and the news marks the most consequential diplomatic development since the war began in October 2023.
Under the terms of this initial phase, the deal calls for a ceasefire, the release of dozens of Israeli hostages believed to be alive, and a withdrawal of Israeli forces to a defined line while a large number of Palestinian detainees will be freed in exchange. Humanitarian access and reconstruction aid are also on the table, but those larger questions are reserved for later stages of the plan.
Implementation is set to move fast once Israel’s government gives the green light — officials say a cabinet vote would trigger a 72-hour clock for prisoner and hostage exchanges and a measured Israeli pullback. If the timetable holds, families who have endured two years of hell could finally see their loved ones return, and the IDF can reposition to consolidate a safer security posture.
Let’s be clear: this outcome didn’t come from weakness or wishful thinking; it came from strength. The Trump administration’s willingness to apply decisive pressure — including military options that sent a clear message to Tehran and Hamas’ backers — helped create the leverage needed for a breakthrough, a lesson Democrats too often forget.
That said, no patriotic American should be naive about what comes next. Hamas has a long record of breaking promises and refusing to disarm, and Israeli leaders rightly worry about preserving the military gains won through sacrifice. The first phase is a start, not an endpoint; Israel must retain the means to defend itself until verifiable disarmament and enforcement mechanisms are in place.
Washington and our partners will now face the messy business of reconstruction, governance and who actually keeps the peace in Gaza — issues that determine whether a temporary truce becomes a durable settlement or collapses into more bloodshed. The American people should insist that any rebuilding come with ironclad safeguards: no cash, no permits, and no legitimacy for terror leaders unless they lay down arms and renounce violence for good.
This moment calls for patriotic clarity: celebrate the hostages’ return and the tentative quiet, but demand toughness and accountability from leaders in Washington and Jerusalem. We owe it to the soldiers, the victims, and every family keeping a vigil to make sure this first phase leads to lasting security — not another round of broken promises and failed diplomacy.
