After 737 days of conflict, Israel and Hamas have completed their first key step towards peace. In the morning hours of Oct. 13, Hamas freed the remaining 20 live hostages held in captivity since the Oct. 7 attacks. In exchange for the 20 live hostages, Israel released over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners into both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
“I’m very glad to hear the hostages have been released,” Josh Blishtein ’27 said. “I’m glad the two parties have come to an agreement. I think there are many people in the Westport Jewish community who were concerned with the well-being of both the hostages and the [Israeli] soldiers.”
The exchange is the first phase of a long-negotiated framework for creating lasting peace in the region. Commonly referred to as the “Gaza Peace Plan,” the deal – comprised of 20 action items requiring work from both parties – was brokered by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar and includes plans for Israeli troops to begin withdrawing from Gaza, increased access to humanitarian aid, and a change in governance of the Gaza Strip, which is currently controlled by terrorist organization Hamas.
“This is the day that people across the region and around the world have been working, striving, hoping and prayed for,” President Trump said at a press conference regarding the peace deal. “They have done things over the last month that I think were really unthinkable. Nobody thought this could happen. With the historic agreement we’ve just signed, those prayers of millions have finally been answered.”
Despite President Trump’s optimism, the pause in combat is fragile. As with previous peace deals during this conflict, one minor provocation or act of aggression could serve to reignite hostility and force the region back into war. Additionally, key questions remain about the future of Gaza: specifically, its future degree of independence and self-governance, the disarmament of militant groups within it, and the rebuilding of critical civil infrastructure required for a functioning state.
The full release of both hostages and prisoners represents the removal of one of the most significant impediments to productive discussions around lasting peace in the region. With this critical first step towards mutual amnesty, Israel and Gaza have created the opportunity for a path to peace in a previously conflict-heavy area.
