Arab affairs commentator Zvi Yehezkeli warned that while the return of hostages provokes great relief, the first phase of the agreement has already granted substantial advantages to Hamas at Israel’s expense.
“This morning we were informed that the hostages are returning and there is no greater joy,” Yehezkeli said. “Now we need to view the agreement from the enemies’ perspective. What are its implications? The first stage is clear: the release of all our hostages and the bodies of the fallen, two years after they were abducted — and, on the other hand, a massive exchange: 250 prisoners serving life sentences and another 1,700 detainees. That is a critical boost to terrorism.”
Yehezkeli argued the deal demonstrates shortcomings in how Israel negotiates in the Middle East, a gap that persisted even after October 7. He said the ratio of released prisoners to returned hostages is larger than in previous deals and that, from Hamas’s viewpoint, the group succeeded in strengthening its networks in Judea and Samaria and in Gaza. “I hope Israel insisted that they return to the Gaza Strip and not to Judea and Samaria,” he added.
According to Yehezkeli, Hamas can claim it “took the maximum number of prisoners, stopped the war, remains armed and remains the authority in Gaza,” which were its core goals. He said the group did not surrender, did not disarm, and will continue to control Gaza even if an international or Arab force is deployed. “Those poor people who said there was starvation now receive Egyptian trucks and are happy and coming out of all the tunnels,” he said.
Looking ahead, Yehezkeli urged Israel to prepare to resume operations against Hamas after the hostages are returned. He criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s role in pushing the deal, saying it favored Israel’s concessions and reflected a naïve view of “peace.” “On October 7 they murdered and butchered our women, our children, and our soldiers,” he said. “The Palestinian Authority sees a state and Hamas sees ongoing war and continued rule.”
Yehezkeli suggested Israel should be “very smart” in the next phase, pressing its own terms and aiming to eliminate senior terrorists released in the deal and to disarm Hamas. Otherwise, he warned, signs would point to a future generation of militants convinced of the value of violence. “If Israel acts according to Trump’s agreement and every time it fires a shot he asks ‘why are you doing this,’ we will not have achieved our objectives in Gaza,” he said.
He reiterated that Hamas’s ideology and governing presence in Gaza persist and that the forthcoming prisoner releases will return militants responsible for major attacks. “The war is not over. There is immense joy, but this is not peace nor the end of the war — rather a pause to receive our hostages, and we must continue because Hamas cannot remain in Gaza,” Yehezkeli concluded.