Today, some good news: the IDF has recovered the body of the last hostage, Ran Gvili. As I write, his body is being brought back to Israel for burial.

First, I stand by my post about Hamas and the return of the hostages: Bank Robbers Know Where Their Loot Is. Hamas have certainly used the delay in getting to stage two to strengthen their grip on the territory they hold and probably to increase their military defenses (IEDs and the like). Whether this will result in a bitter price to be paid in the future is unknown.

Second, if you had asked me at the start of last year whether we would ever get to a situation in which all the hostages had been returned, I would have said it was unlikely. For many, it’s a miracle. For many, it’s a gift from above.

Third, I fully expect Bibi to claim credit for this outcome. I don’t know what it was that caused Qatar to produce meaningful pressure on Hamas to make a ceasefire deal, but I suspect the source was Trump. Were Bibi the type who accepted responsibility for his failures, I would give him more leeway. However, as far as he’s concerned, when things go wrong, it’s always somebody else’s fault. And when things go well, it’s always because of Bibi! (Yeah, right.) I only hope that he doesn’t win the next election because of misplaced belief that he was responsible for the return of the last hostage.

Now, what’s next?