Who does the Israeli consider their true savior / “This day seems to be a holy one. But the truth is hidden under the ruins”

The day when the twenty hostages were released by Hamas seems to be a holy one, but as time passes, the main fire will move to Gaza, its reconstruction and the truth that hides under the ruins, writes journalist Roy Schwartz, in an opinion article published in The Guardian.

“The Israelis believe that their interests are better served by Washington than by Jerusalem. Now that the hostages have arrived at home, do Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu change their priorities?” The Guardian, Roy Schwartz, a senior editor at the Longeviv newspaper in Israel, Haaretz.

The journalist describes the atmosphere of Tel Aviv on Monday morning, when Hamas taught twenty hostages in life. Their release was an important step in the conclusion of two years of devastating war in Gaza, in a cessation of fire negotiated by President Donald Trump.

About “The truth hidden under the rubble”

“The streets of Tel Aviv seemed empty this Monday morning. Apart from the people who rushed to work or walk the dogs, the place seemed relatively deserted. This day seems to be a holy one. There was no need to ask where people were. Thousands of people had gathered in the Tel Aviv hostage market. We think well, the final act of the war exceeds even this.

“Ever since the agreement was concluded and the war has ended, it seems that Israel is under the influence of the best drug imaginable. Walking on the streets, see people smiling for no reason-or maybe for the best possible reason. Even the serious faces of the television presenters have been replaced by some,” he continued.

But the journalist points out that, while the television presenters and the participants in the shows continued with the theme of good news, “you could not not notice the other images.” “While the buses and vehicles of the Red Cross were crossing the Gaza strip in their mission to bring back the hostages, the scene was one of destruction – ruins of cities where people once lived.”

The fight for hostages and calamity in Gaza are two faces of the same coin of war, writes the journalist. He says, however, that as time passes, “attention will turn more and more to Gaza, its reconstruction and the truth that hides under the ruins.”

Gaza's rehabilitation does not give Israel any tangible earnings

“The curtain will be rising later, today, in the resort Sharm El-Heikh in Egypt, where the summit of the Gaza leaders will take place,” according to the journalist. He says that this meeting, as well as those that will inevitably follow, will establish a calendar for a new international governing body and a security force to actually take control over the Gaza strip.

“As if there was any doubt about the urgency of this situation, even until the end of the week, some news reports suggested that Hamas had already restored control over the Gaza strip, as part of his own version of” law “,” writes Roy Schwartz.

The journalist recalls that only today at noon he announced that the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was invited to the summit. But this is a phase about the rehabilitation of the gas that does not give Israel any tangible profit. And Netanyahu's office refused the proposal of Egypt, invoking the beginning of the Holy Day in Israel.

“Whatever the real reason for Netanyahu, perhaps the essence remains the same: this summit, coordinated by Donald Trump together with the world leaders, is a way to signal to Israel that Gaza is no longer under his exclusive authority. The war has ended – as Trump repeats – and now others will take control.”

He says that of course, any initiative in Gaza will have to be held in close collaboration with the Israeli government. But there is a question: “Will it be a direct cooperative effort – as Trump forced Israel to accept the termination agreement of the war?”.

Whom the Israeli considers their true savior

In his speech today in the Israeli Parliament, Donald Trump said: “Israel, with our help, has won everything that could be won by the force of weapons – you have won. Now it is time to transform these victories against terrorists on the battlefield in the Supreme Prize of Peace and Prosperity for the whole Middle East.”

The statement of the US president is not surprising, but is aligned with the president of Indonesia on Tuesday. Israel has no diplomatic relations with Indonesia, and the visit could suggest that another “peace agreement,” says Roy Schwartz. He states that in this context, we must ask ourselves:

“Where does the Palestinians fall into this vision? Is it really about to set up an independent state? It also includes the cyisordan and means the end of all settlements? And if this does not happen, is it possible a sustainable peace?”.

This is just one of the many unresolved problems, says Schwartz, noting that other problems became obvious during Saturday evening in Hostages Square, where, “behind the manifestations of joy and relief, deeper truths have come to light.”

The most noticeable moment of the evening was when Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, tried to praise Netanyahu for his role in the conclusion of the agreement. The crowd – much more familiar with its failures – has noisy. Not once, not twice. Each time his name was mentioned, the crowd was hiding him. The rhythmic scandal “Thank you, Trump” has only emphasized who the Israeli considers their true savior, concludes the journalist.