Israel Ends the War, But It's Not Over

The world is about to witness a moment of relief: 20 Israeli hostages, those who have survived the darkest hell imaginable, are expected to be released by Hamas. The bodies of the dead will follow as well and come to burial in Israel. We have been dreaming of this moment in Israel. In exchange, Israel is releasing nearly 2,000 Palestinian terrorists, including hundreds of cold-blooded terrorists.

Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip (IDF Spokesperson)

A nation that watched its children dragged into Gaza on October 7, 2023, a nation that sacrificed its sons and daughters in this war against evil, cannot be naive.

Yes, the war has come to an end. Yes, the hostages are coming home. But this is not the end. Evil is still in Gaza. It is hiding. It is waiting. Unless the education system in Gaza starts to educate the coming generations that Israel is not going anywhere, this evil will rise again, stronger, smarter and even more brutal. We don't have the luxury of giving evil another chance at hitting us.

The Hostages Are Coming Home

Israel is trading terrorists for innocent civilians. We are doing it because we value life. We are doing it because we believe in the sanctity of every Jewish soul. But we cannot forget who we are dealing with.

The terrorists going free include murderers. People who blew up buses, stabbed Jews and bragged about it. They are not freedom fighters. They are monsters. And how many of these released terrorists do you think have actually changed their paths? Probably none of them neglected the dream of seeing the Jewish state destroyed. What are their going to do with their free time now that they will be released? Israel must keep an eye on them. I don't need to remind you how in the past month, Israeli forces stopped several Palestinians who in Judea and Samaria with home-made rockets they planned to launch into Israel from Palestinian cities. We cannot, simply cannot, let our guard down - EVER.

So yes, we are welcoming our people home. It comes at a heavy price, that I believe most Israelis are willing to pay at this point. But we must also be clear-eyed. This is not peace. It is a necessary move in a long war. A war against an ideology that believes killing Jews (and also Christians) is holy. An ideology that sees restraint as weakness.

Israelis celebrate the home-coming of the three female hostages in January, 2025 (Shutterstock)

What’s Planned for Gaza

According to the Trump plan, now being executed step by step, Gaza is set to enter a transitional phase. The IDF has pulled back. Hostages are being returned. Aid is flowing into the Strip. And in the coming weeks, a new administration is supposed to take over.

This administration will not be Hamas. It will be a technocratic, internationally supervised Palestinian committee tasked with rebuilding Gaza and managing daily life.

The plan is bold. It is structured. It aims to prevent Hamas from ever holding power again.

It also calls for the complete demilitarization of Gaza. Tunnels are to be destroyed. Weapons seized. Billions in international aid will fund reconstruction, but under strict oversight to prevent corruption and terror financing.

In my opinion, this deal is not perfect, but if we were looking for a perfect deal we could have waited our whole lives. This is a good deal for this specific timeline. However, and I repeat, Hamas does not want peace, and if it is allowed to remain in Gaza, even if "demilitarized", it did not "demilitarize" its radical ideology.

Hamas didn’t massacre 1,200 Israelis on October 7th because they were upset about borders. They came to kill Jews. Full stop. They burned children, raped women, butchered the elderly, and laughed while filming it.

This was not a military campaign. This was a genocidal pogrom. Backed by Iran. Funded by Qatar. Excused by academics. Celebrated by mobs waving Palestinian flags in London and New York. This is radical Islam. And it doesn’t want land. It wants Jewish blood.

You do not negotiate with evil. You do not coexist with it. You do not draw a border and hope it behaves.

You finish it.

Palestinian terrorists from the Joint Operations Room of Gaza-based armed Palestinian factions, near Rafah crossing the border in the southern Gaza Strip with Egypt, on September 20, 2023 (Shutterstock)

Reports from the ground show Hamas militants back in the streets of Gaza City and Khan Younis. They are armed. They are organizing. They are punishing rivals and asserting control.

Some call it “stabilizing for the transition.” No. It is Hamas doing what it always does, taking advantage of a ceasefire to regroup, rearm, and prepare for the next war.

According to reports, only one-third of their tunnel network has been destroyed. Two-thirds remain untouched, partly I have to say, because Israel did not want to risk the lives of the hostages. The tunnels are still there. And unless they are dealt with, Hamas will rise again. Israel's defense minister Katz said that once we get our hostages back, we must destroy all the Hamas tunnels.

Five Things That Must Happen Now

1. Finish the tunnels The rest of the underground network must be found and destroyed. Every shaft. Every chamber. Every hiding place. If even one tunnel is left, Hamas will use it.

2. No more weapons Every weapon must be seized. From rockets to bullets to knives. Gaza cannot be allowed to become an arms warehouse again. International monitors must have teeth — not just clipboards. I suspect the Egyptian border might again be exploited to smuggle weapons into Gaza.

3. No political reinvention of Hamas There can be no room for Hamas in Gaza’s future. Not as a political party. Not as a shadow government. Not under a new name. You cannot let wolves back in by asking them to wear suits.

4. Real accountability for aid The money coming into Gaza must be tracked. Every truck. Every dollar. Every sack of cement. Aid must go to homes, hospitals, and schools, not new rocket factories.

5. Constant pressure Even during the ceasefire, Israel and its allies must continue targeting Hamas’s leadership, ideology, and infrastructure. A break in fighting must not mean a break in vigilance.

Israel’s Job Is Not Finished

We read in Ecclesiastes 3:8, “A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.”

Today, there is love - for those coming home. But the time for war on evil is not over. The war against radical Islam is not just Israel’s war. It is the war of every nation that values human life over death cults, that values mothers over martyrdom.

There is no honor in letting Hamas survive. There is no peace with people who teach children to become suicide bombers.

IDF Soldier praying (Shutterstock)

A Warning and A Hope

Today, we will see families reunited. Civilians who were in tunnels will be in their mother’s arms. Fathers who prayed without hope will see their sons again. It will be a holy moment. A human moment. A national moment. But we must not confuse it with the end of the war. This is not peace. I don't say this with joy, not at all. I wish all wars to end. But we cannot be naive.

We are not fighting people. We are fighting an idea. An idea that glorifies death. That celebrates terror. That would burn this world to the ground if it meant killing one more Jew.

Our answer must be clear. We will not share this land with evil. We will not build a future on top of tunnels. We will not apologize for defending ourselves.

As it says in Psalm 97:10, “You who love the Lord, hate evil.”

Let the hostages come home. Let the dead be buried with honor. Let Gaza rebuild, but without Hamas.

And let us finish what we started.

Am Yisrael Chai.