After two years of war, Israel wins

Over the next few days, as Israel and the world brace for the expected release of the majority of Israeli hostages, Hamas and its allies may try to spin the moment as their victory. 

But with the hostages returning home, the truth is clear: Israel can rightfully declare "total victory," just as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised.

This victory stands despite the unprecedented and horrifying massacre of October 7, 2023. Despite the unbearable loss of life of civilians and soldiers alike. Despite the deep national trauma and the severe economic toll of two years of war. 

Israel has endured, fought back, and won.

How do we know this is a total victory? Let's take a closer look.

Hamas has been destroyed. Over the past two years, the IDF has flattened the Gaza Strip. New satellite images from the San Francisco-based imaging company Planet Labs PBC show that an estimated 80% of Gaza's structures have been damaged or destroyed.

As part of the reported agreement, Israel has agreed to withdraw IDF forces within 24 hours to the line set with Hamas, which would leave it retaining control of roughly 53% of Gaza's territory. Currently, Israel controls about 80%. In recent weeks, since entering Gaza City, Israeli troops have succeeded in substantially weakening the last Hamas stronghold.

The majority of Hamas leadership has been eliminated – including October 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar; his brother, Mohammed Sinwar, who succeeded him; military chief Mohammed Deif; political leader Ismail Haniyeh; and many others.

Now, the entire Arab world has pressured Hamas to sign a deal with Israel and return the hostages – an embarrassment to the terror group, no doubt. But more importantly, the declaration made by 22 members of the Arab League in July, stating that "Hamas must end its rule in Gaza" and calling on it to disarm, has proven true. Everyone wants Hamas out – and Hamas now knows it.

Hezbollah has also been largely destroyed. 

In September 2024, Israel executed an operation that seemed straight out of a Hollywood thriller when it detonated Israeli-made walkie-talkies and pagers that had been secretly rigged with explosives. Most of Hezbollah's senior leadership was killed in that attack. Hezbollah operatives had unknowingly purchased thousands of these devices, believing them to be standard communication tools, when in fact they were covertly manufactured and implanted with explosives by Israeli intelligence, according to multiple reports following the event.

But that was only the beginning. 

Israel later killed Hassan Nasrallah, the organization's secretary-general and the face of the Iranian-backed militia, in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.

In the aftermath, Lebanon's government approved the army's plan to begin disarming Hezbollah, marking a dramatic policy shift after decades of the group's dominance in Lebanese politics and security. According to Ed Gabriel, president of the American Task Force on Lebanon, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is "determined to get things (disarmament) done."

Iran's nuclear program is no longer an imminent threat to Israel or the world, though there will likely be further developments on that front. 

Over the summer, the United States joined Israel in striking key Iranian nuclear sites, using U.S. B-2 Spirit stealth bombers. The strikes "completely and totally obliterated" Iran's most relevant atomic facilities, according to Trump.

The coordinated U.S.–Israeli operation marked a significant escalation following years of covert sabotage efforts, cyberattacks, and diplomatic standoffs aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Moreover, on Thursday, Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity that Iran had given its blessing to the hostage-for-ceasefire deal.

"I believe Iran is going to be involved in the peace situation," the president said.

Policy proposals to foster improved relations between Israel and Lebanon's new leadership are now on the table. Syria, too, has reportedly been in quiet negotiations with Israel to reach a limited security arrangement. 

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia appears to be back at the table, again considering a move that could formalize the kingdom's participation in the Abraham Accords.

As Trump said last month during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Netanyahu in Washington, the end of the Gaza war is "just a part of the bigger picture, which is peace in the Middle East, and let's call it eternal peace in the Middle East."

Of course, this victory can only be declared once the agreement is officially signed and the hostages cross into Israel.

And it is important to stress that even with this agreement to release the hostages, the deal does not restrict the Israeli army from continuing its mission to demilitarize Hamas fully. Gen. (Res.) Amir Avivi told ALL ISRAEL NEWS. Once Hamas returns the remaining hostages, the IDF is expected to continue operations in some regions of the Strip to ensure the group cannot reconstitute itself.

At the same time, as Israel declares victory, it must also reckon with its losses: more than 900 soldiers killed in battle, thousands injured, and 1,200 people brutally murdered on October 7. 

The human cost is immeasurable, the grief enduring.

Still, victory cannot be taken away. 

For two years, Israel fought with determination and resilience, standing firm in defense of the country and the Jewish people. In doing so, it reshaped the future of the Middle East and proved once again that from unimaginable darkness, Israel rises.