To truly understand this angst, one must understand Jewish history and one of the main reasons for Israel’s establishment as a modern nation-state.

With a new administration in Washington and a renewed focus on the West Bank, it is in Israel’s interests to maintain the ceasefire in Lebanon. Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire in late November 2024 to end more than a year of fighting.

A ceasefire brought hope for peace for people in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, but time is running out for it to be implemented

Some troops had been expected to withdraw to allow hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans to go home. But Israel said the hostage exchange before that step had not gone as agreed. Hamas accused Israel of stalling.

Israel says an updated list from Hamas "matches Israeli intelligence" - meaning 18 hostages are still to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire.