Israel will get some hostages back, but may be turning all of us into hostages by restoring assets to Hamas that were taken from it in a difficult war and at a dear price in blood.

Written by Nadav Shragai - a veteran Israeli journalist.

(Jan. 15, 2025 / Israel Hayom)

As hearts and souls burst with the desire to finally see the first hostages return home after so long, minds urgently seek answers to difficult questions that the emerging deal’s details, as revealed so far, do not currently address.

The most challenging question concerns the hostages themselves: How can Israel ensure there will even be a second phase of the deal, and that all hostages—both living and deceased (including the four from before the war: Hisham Sha’ban al-Sayed, Avera Mengistu and the bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul)—will return to Israel and not be abandoned to their fate in Gaza?

The second question that arises concerns the Philadelphi Corridor. Israeli Prime Minister...