A ceasefire is not the end of Israel’s work
It has been a long 467 days. On October 7, 2023, Hamas breached Israel’s security, sending thousands of fighters flooding into the country. The result was the murder of 1,200 people, and the kidnapping of 251 hostages by a group devoted to the destruction of their nation.
This initial act of savagery sparked a wider regional conflict, as Israel launched an extended campaign to retrieve hostages and destroy the ability of Hamas to inflict further atrocities on its people, and Iranian proxy forces piled in.
Over those 467 days, some hostages have been released, some have been rescued and some have been confirmed as deceased. There are still 94 hostages held in the enclave, 34 of whom are presumed dead. Among those whose fate remains uncertain are Shiri Bibas, who was taken with her sons Ariel, then four years old, and Kfir, aged just nine months.
There is now a ceasefire deal on the table which could see 33 of these people – women, children and elderly – released home. An Israeli cabinet vote has been delayed amid accusations from Benjamin Netanyahu that Hamas is trying to “extort last-minute concessions”, but the White House remains “confident” that the deal will go through.
The deal – arranged under pressure from incoming US President Donald Trump – would see a total ceasefire for six weeks, an exchange of hostages and prisoners, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas of Gaza, and the opening of negotiations for a lasting peace.
This pause in the conflict is not all that Israel might have desired. There is no doubt that Hamas will attempt to claim victory by virtue of still existing, and that it will resume assembling forces for future attacks. But it is also a good point to take stock of everything that has been achieved in this war, and what should follow after.
October 7 has been a catastrophe for Hamas and Iran. The military structure of the former has been decimated; Iran’s proxies in Lebanon have been rendered ineffective, its ally in Syria toppled, and its leaders humiliated in a series of exchanges with Israeli forces.
Had Israel listened to Joe Biden, and his more cautious approach, it would today be far less secure. The focus once Trump takes office must be on securing these gains; rather than repeating Biden’s attempted rapprochement with Iran, he should work with Israel to put a permanent end to its nuclear programme.