Gaza action plan: Netanyahu has ‘no incentive’ to return to war

In a critical day for the Middle East, the last 20 living hostages held by Hamas were returned to Israel while Israel released some of the nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under a breakthrough Gaza ceasefire deal. US President Donald Trump made a whirlwind visit to the region. In Jerusalem, he addressed the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, to repeated applause before heading to Egypt for a summit of world leaders backing the ceasefire plan. More ramped-up aid was being readied for Gaza, much of which is in ruins after two years of war that began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 as hostages. In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,600 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, Delano D’Souza is pleased to welcome Yasmina Asrarguis, Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the Department of Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University.