As the news broke and information has continued to pour out last week regarding the status of the remains of the Bibas, especially the children, to say that I was horrified, by the grotesque way Hamas chose to murder Ariel and Kfir Bibas, with "their bare hands", would be an absolute understatement. And yet, sadly, it does not surprise me in the least bit. Unlike Judaism, which holds the value of a life at the highest level possible, even above Shabbat, Hamas has shown no respect for any life, including those of the Gazan citizens.

While I know that some people who are supportive of the Palestinian cause get caught up in the number of civilians that died as a result of Israel going into Gaza in an attempt to bring the hostages back and also eradicate Hamas, the belief that there was a moral equivalency between Hamas and the IDF is laughable. Israel has operated under strict ethical guidelines and does everything within its power to follow the rules of war set out by the Geneva Conventions. With the overwhelming evidence that continues to be displayed with this latest hostage exchange, it is evident that Hamas continues to ignore them. Unfortunately, many people disregard this fact.

I have a very strong suspicion that many people have failed to recognize or truly comprehend the lengths to which Israel agreed in order to bring back all of the hostages – whether they are alive or dead. The people who Israel has agreed to exchange for the hostages are people who have been arrested, tried, and convicted for crimes they have committed against innocent civilians. Some of these people who are being exchanged are convicted murderers who were serving multiple life sentences. They have been released and are being celebrated and honored as heroes by the Palestinian people. Think about that for a minute… Israel knew this would happen and yet was still willing to agree to this to get the hostages out of captivity. 30-50 Palestinians in exchange for each of the 33 agreed to hostages. Could you even imagine the US agreeing to something like this, let alone what the public outcry would be?

As if this was not bad enough, the latest horrific and unconscionable action by Hamas, trying to "pass off" the remains of someone else when they agreed to return the body of Shira Bibas as part of the exchange. It was more than a gut punch to the Israeli population... it was an example of psychological warfare. And I believe (1000%) that Hamas did this on purpose because they understand how much Israel values each life and how much it demoralizes and angers Israelis. In my mind, it was why Israel finally said enough and has been withholding the next release of Palestinians because of Hamas' actions.

You may remember that in exchange for Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped in 2006 and remained a hostage until he was released by Hamas in 2011, Israel agreed to release 1,027 Palestinians (280 of which were serving life sentences). I strongly suspect that Hamas was hoping for a similar outcome, and it is the main reason why they kidnapped so many on October 7.

Phase 2 of the ceasefire agreement is supposed to begin on March 1, but it remains to be seen if that is even feasible, as negotiations were supposed to take place during Phase 1. However, I am hopeful that whatever is agreed to, and however long it takes, brings all of the remaining hostages home to Israel as quickly as possible and puts us on the road to lasting peace.

I am thankful for the hostages who have returned home and that the remains of those who did not return are with their families and can now receive a proper burial.