Three More

While all the talk about the revamping of the Gaza Strip and relocation of Gazans while it’s being done, lost in all of that is the release of three male hostages as we read in a report from the Jerusalem Post:

Or Levy, Eli Sharabi, and Ohad Ben Ami are to be the next set of hostages released by Hamas on Saturday, the prime minister's office confirmed Friday.

The three have been held captive by the terrorist organization for 491 days. Both Ben Ami and Sharabi are residents of Kibbutz Be'eri.

As in past releases, the returns are mixed with sadness:

Levy, now 34, was attending the Nova Music Festival on October 7 with his 32-year-old wife, Eynav, leaving their two-year-old son Almog with his grandparents. Hamas killed Eynav and abducted Or to Gaza. He is a resident of Rishon Lezion and worked as a programmer at a startup company.

Sharabi's wife Leanne and their two daughters Noya, 16, and Yahel, 13, were also murdered on October 7. His brother, Yossi Sharabi, was murdered in captivity with his body still held in Gaza. Leanne came from England as a volunteer to work at Kibbutz Be'eri where their family lived.

Only one will be fully happy reunion:

Ben Ami was abducted alongside his wife Raz, although she was freed during the hostage deal in November 2023. His family was among many of the hostages' families who protested tirelessly for his release.

His daughter, Ella, posted an Instagram story responding to her father's release, saying "Nothing could've prepared my lungs for this moment."

The community gave a statement about the releases:

Kibbutz Be'eri issued an official statement on the release of Ben Ami and Sharabi, saying that they're "thrilled for their release after 491 days of uncertainty, of pain and anger.

"We have not stopped praying, protesting and waiting for this moment – ​​the moment when we will finally be able to see Eli and Ohad safe. Alongside the joy of seeing them return to us, there is immense pain and agonizing for those who are still held hostage.

"This will not go back to normal until all the hostages return safely to their families, and until all the murdered can be returned for their burial."

Already Planning

Although there isn’t any real plans in place to implement President Donald Trump’s bold proposals, the Defense Minister for Israel wants to ready for when it does happen as we’re told in an article from the Jewish News Syndicate:

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prepare a plan to facilitate the voluntary departure of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

The statement comes in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal this week that Gaza’s population be relocated to Egypt, Jordan and additional countries.

Katz wants many ways for Gazan’s to relocate:

“The plan will include exit options at land crossings as well as special arrangements for exit by sea and air,” said Katz. “I welcome U.S. President Donald Trump’s bold plan. The residents of Gaza should be allowed to enjoy the freedom of exit and migration as is customary everywhere in the world.”

He also reminded anyone that Hamas is not their friends:

Hamas, Katz added, is “now holding them hostage, extorting money from them using humanitarian aid, and preventing their exit from Gaza.”

Katz suggested many countries that they could live in, although some are already nixing the notion:

Katz went on to state that “countries like Spain, Ireland, Norway and others, which have made false allegations against Israel’s actions in Gaza, should by any account allow every Gazan resident to enter their territory. Their hypocrisy will be exposed if they refuse to do so. There are countries like Canada, which has a regulated immigration program, that have expressed a desire in the past to absorb residents from Gaza.”

Spain’s foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, on Thursday rejected Katz’s suggestion that Spain accept Gazans. In an interview with Spanish radio station RNE, Albares said that “Gazans’ land is Gaza and Gaza must be part of the future Palestinian state.”

Going back to Trumps previous comments we’re reminded that he is very hopeful that the area can be greatly improved:

On Tuesday, Trump doubled down on his earlier suggestion that nearly two million Palestinians should be relocated from Gaza to new homes elsewhere so that the enclave could be rebuilt.

“You build really good quality housing, like a beautiful town, like someplace where they can live and not die, because Gaza is a guarantee that they’re going to end up dying,” Trump told reporters at a press conference in Washington, D.C., with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

At a press conference last week, Trump said Gaza was “literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything’s demolished, and people are dying there, so I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing in a different location where I think they could maybe live in peace for a change.”

One Israeli government minister chimed in and used a modified version of the famous MAGA acronym:

Responding to Trump’s remarks on Tuesday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich tweeted a passage from Psalms 126:3 in Hebrew: “Then they will say among the nations: ‘The Lord has done great things with these; the Lord has done great things for us, we were glad.'”

Smotrich then wrote, again in Hebrew, “and even better, and even better. Thank you, President Trump” before transitioning to English alongside American and Israeli flag emojis: “Together, we will make the world great again.”

Again, these proposals are still just that. Will they ever become a reality? As we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we certainly can include these sudden changes.