Peace on the Horizon?
by Mike James
With the recent release of the remaining 20 live Israeli hostages from Hamas control, there is hope for a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians. But some are suggesting the end of the war in Gaza might have more significant repercussions.
PETAH TIKVA, ISRAEL - OCTOBER 13: Former hostage Evyatar David gestures to the crowd outside Beilinson Hospital in the Rabin Medical Centre after the surviving Israeli hostages were released from Gaza on October 13, 2025 in Petah Tikva, Israel. The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has brought an end to the two years of war that followed the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. A condition of the deal was the immediate return of 48 hostages held in Gaza, around 20 of whom were believed to be alive. (Photo by Dima Vazinovich/Getty Images)
The Israeli side agreed to release 1,700 detainees and 250 other Palestinians serving life sentences in Israeli prisons. Humanitarian aid to Gaza will now flow in more freely and abundantly.
One of the points of President Trump's 20-point plan for lasting peace in the Middle East is for Hamas to agree to disarm. Thus far, that point has not been agreed to by Hamas. In fact, there are reports of Hamas killing Palestinians recently in the Gaza Strip. One video recently displayed on Hamas video channels shows Hamas men executing men in a public square.
Those who were executed are probably members of family clans and militias that had been challenging Hamas' control during the past two years.
"A key question on Hamas is whether it will actually disarm," said Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. "They're going to resist that because, guess what, resistance is its middle name, literally," referring to its full Arabic name, the Islamic Resistance Movement.
Under the 20-point plan, Gaza will initially be administered by a temporary transitional committee of Palestinian technocrats, operating under a Board of Peace chaired by President Trump. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is also confirmed to be a member of this Board of Peace.
Gaza Strip governance will be handed over to the Palestinian Authority (PA), which currently is the Palestinian authority in the West Bank, after it undergoes some reforms. The plan emphasizes that no Palestinians will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who leave will be free to return.
The plan involves Israel slowly withdrawing, with international troops taking their place to maintain order. The Trump plan does not directly address funding. The World Bank estimates the cost of rebuilding Gaza at over $50 billion. Arab states are expected to be involved in reconstruction efforts as long as Gaza stays peaceful.
Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, stated the following: "The current ceasefire is a welcome and meaningful but fragile pause. Whether it fully collapses or serves as a launching pad for progress depends on President Trump and the other actors, he's coordinating with staying engaged."
After the Oslo Accords of 1993 and 1995, we were close to peace between Israel and the Palestinians, but that all collapsed before there was lasting peace. Things seem a little different today due to the weakness of the Palestinian militants and their supporters. But much work needs to be done.
If this plan works and peace does come, it would be something significant in relation to what the Bible says about the latter days. One important section of Scripture is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3: "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety: then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."
It is counterintuitive to think that peace can lead to sudden destruction, but on the other hand, that could make a lot of sense. People get lulled to sleep in good times, peaceful times, or prosperous times. So if we see the world agreeing and coalescing in unity, that might be a time to really start warning people about what may be coming.
I'm all for an end to the war between Israel and the Palestinians. But please understand that there is a spiritual battle going on behind the scenes of what you read about in the news (Ephesians 6:12-13; Daniel 10:11-13). Forces much more powerful and deadly than mere human despots and terrorists are at work. God's spiritual forces are battling these other spiritual forces and rest assured YHWH will win in the end.
Sources: "A Transformational But Tenuous Peace," by Issac Arnsdorf, Michael Birnbaum, and Claire Parker, The Washington Post, October 14, 2025
"Masked Hamas fighters seen executing men in Gaza City as the group fights with rival powers," by Ivana Kottasová, Ibrahim Dahman, and Eyad Kourdi, CNN, October 15, 2025, https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/masked-fighters-seen-executing-men-184250841.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
"Explained: Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan – Key takeaways, challenges and what lies ahead?" by Pradeep Tripathi, October 14, 2025, Moneycontrol, https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/explained-trump-s-20-point-gaza-peace-plan-key-takeaways-challenges-and-what-lies-ahead-article-13614487.html
"Hamas Reasserts Control in Gaza," by Gerry Shih, Ari Flanzraich, and Hazem Balousha, The Washington Post, October 16, 2025