Bittersweet Return

A pale little boy running into his father’s arms.

An elderly woman swept up in her daughter’s embrace.

Women and girls emerging from captivity.

Even in the emotion-soaked weeks since October 7, these images stand out.

Because even as the captives emerge, there is the dread realization that some — especially soldiers and military-age men — might never return. For Hamas, the cease-fire and hostage release has been about gaining time to regroup, and about ridding themselves of the image problem that snatching defenseless women and children has brought. When that job is over, will Hamas be so easily be persuaded by its Qatari sponsors to continue the hostage release? No one knows.

Added to that is the sense that, despite the pounding it’s taken in northern Gaza, the terror group is far from done. Even as it releases captives, Hamas is still calling the shots: by reneging on the terms of the hostage deal — separating a mother from her child, taking its time in freeing American citizens in a not-so-subtle message to President Biden — the group is intent on proving to its people and the world at large that it remains a force to contend with.

Bitter experience dating back to the disastrous Shalit deal in 2011 has taught Israelis that a released terrorist is a danger once again to innocent civilians. Technically, none of the many Palestinians who’ve left Israeli jails over the past few days have blood on their hands — but only because their attempts to kill didn’t work.

Last, there’s the bitter taste of humiliation. In Israelis’ dreams, the return of the hostages was meant to look different — a daring special forces raid to spring them from the terrorists’ lair. Instead, Israelis are forced to watch as Gazans spit and curse the Red Cross jeeps taking the defenseless passengers to freedom. Instead of Entebbe, it’s the abject failure of the Yom Kippur War’s opening — without the subsequent military triumph.