I'm not as down on the deal as many others (understandably) are because I think a lot of it depends on what happens next. This is the same deal that's been on the table for a long time. Israel was always going to have to release a lot of prisoners, including convicted terrorists, to get back living hostages. They were also going to have to promise to withdraw. The only thing that changed now is that Hamas was willing to accept the deal because they no longer had hope that waiting it out would lead to the US abandoning Israel (their main goal at this point). Private pressure on allies vs public pressure on enemies was what should have been the US approach from the start. There is a moral dilemma with paying a ransom to terrorists for hostages and the incentives it creates, but once you are committed to making such a deal... The benefits of getting hostages home are clear. I am thrilled for the families. Of course that completely gets negated if Hamas starts Phase 1 by delivering bodies instead of living hostages. The only way to judge the costs will be what happens next. 1) Will Israel adjust their death penalty policies to execute convicted terrorists to remove the incentives of hostage-taking? 2) Will Israel react as soon as evidence of Hamas and other terrorist groups re-arming comes up or will they just wait for the terrorists to launch a large attack again? 3) Will Israel continue to pursue anti-terror activities in the meantime? The only part of the deal that seems ensured for now is phase 1. There is no reason to agree to phase 2 or 3 without better guarantees. 4) Will the Palestinians learn any lessons? Will there be any shift in focusing on rebuilding and creating a prosperous area instead of just preparing for their next destructive war? The fact that Hamas is already announcing their plan to murder any Palestinians who criticized them once Israel withdraws and the fact that you have Palestinians celebrating Deif/Hamas in the streets suggests the answer is no, but we shall see. etc etc. Time will tell. I do not blame anyone for being angry at this deal, but I also don't blame those happy for the hostages coming home and temporary reprieve from the violence/deaths.
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