By Middle East correspondent Eric Tlozek, ABC
A message of "Thank you" displayed on the beach outside the US embassy headquarters in Tel Aviv, prior to US President Donald Trump's landing at Ben Gurion Airport on October 13, 2025. Photo: AFP / Saul Loeb
Analysis: "Thank you," said giant letters etched in the beach in Tel Aviv, intended to be seen by US President Donald Trump as he flew into Israel this week.
"Thank you President Trump," chanted Israelis gathered in hostage square.
"Thank you President Trump," said the families of the hostages and the Israeli government.
But why should anyone be thanking the president?
Instead, they should be asking: why are the remaining hostages only coming home now, when there was a ceasefire he helped broker at the start of the year that saw dozens of hostages released?
US President Donald Trump shows a signed document during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh on October 13, 2025. Photo: SAUL LOEB
The fighting stopped in time for his inauguration in January, but six weeks later, the White House handed the reins back to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Then, instead of discussing the end of the war and the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, Israel proceeded to break that deal in March, blocked aid and launched devastating new offensives in Gaza - promising "total victory" against Hamas.
Now, the agreement is pretty much at the same stage as it was at the end of February - when the remaining hostages could have been returned.
The key differences are that another 13,000 Gazans have been killed (probably a lot more as the bodies are recovered from northern Gaza), Israel's blocking of aid pushed has parts of Gaza into famine, the hostages have been subjected to another seven months in tunnels or other harsh settings, more of Gaza has been destroyed, and much of the world has united in condemnation of Israel's actions.
Yes, there are other changes.
Israel gets to keep troops in Gaza instead of having to withdraw, but that only signifies that the key issues in this conflict - disarmament, security, governance - are far from being resolved.
Hamas is even weaker and more desperate.
It had already lost its key leaders well before the last ceasefire, except for Mohammad Sinwar.
The Arab and Muslim states, even those like Turkey and Qatar, which support Hamas, have agreed the group must disarm and play no role in the governance of a future Palestine.
Many Western countries, including Australia, have now recognised the State of Palestine and acknowledged the right of Palestinians to self-determination.
Displaced Palestinians walk past destroyed buildings as they return to their homes in the in al-Zahra area, north of the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, on 14 October, 2025, a day after a ceasefire came into effect. Photo: EYAD BABA / AFP
Were those things worth the extra deaths, destruction and heartache?
Hamas still refuses to disarm and remains in control of large parts of the strip.
The US may claim the war is over, but Israel's defence minister has already flagged plans to attack Hamas, and Israeli fire and air strikes continue in Gaza.
There is a notable lack of information about what comes next, with the mediators and the US speaking only in general terms.
The violence has not ended, it has only decreased in intensity.
Yes, it is important that much of the killing in Gaza has stopped, that aid - really, a minimum requirement in international law that should have been present the entire conflict - is allowed to enter at scale, and that some Palestinians detained with little evidence and subjected to alleged torture and mistreatment have been released.
But similar things were achieved in February.
Why did the most powerful person in the world, who leads the main funder and weapons supplier of Israel, allow them to slip?
Joe Biden's administration helped secure the release of 105 hostages in November 2023, more than have been released in the two subsequent ceasefires under Trump.
Biden is now called "Genocide Joe", while Trump is the "peace president".
If Trump does manage to actually stop this war, deploy a multinational security force, reconstruct Gaza, resolve Palestinian statehood and secure a lasting regional agreement, then it will be time to say thank you.
-ABC
