Oct. 10, 2025 - Day of Joy, But with Eyes Wide Open
Earlier this month, on Oct. 10, Israel celebrated.
Following months of anguish, prayer, and unimaginable waiting, the final Israeli hostages were released.
Families were reunited.
Mothers embraced their children.
A nation exhaled in gratitude and relief as a ceasefire took effect, and the world hoped this moment marked a turning point.
It was a day of profound joy. It also demanded vigilance.
The images of homecomings stirred hearts everywhere.
Yet history has taught Israel and its allies that good news in the Mideast often comes wrapped in layers of danger and deception.
While Hamas signs agreements under pressure, it has rarely honored them once the pressure fades.
Oct. 10, 2025 was not the end of the story.
It was only the first phase of a multi-stage agreement.
Additional commitments remained ahead.
The question then, and still today, is whether Hamas will honor anything beyond what serves its short-term strategy.
Concerns were justified almost immediately.
After the hostages were freed, Hamas violated the ceasefire it had just agreed to.
They fired rockets into Israel.
They seized the pause in fighting as an opportunity to reposition fighters, rebuild capabilities, and prepare for the next confrontation.
The ceasefire became not a step toward peace but a tactical breather.
That's who Hamas is. That's who Hamas has always been.
This pattern is not new.
Yasir Arafat pioneered it decades ago.
He spoke of peace in English while shaking hands in the Rose Garden. Yet in Arabic, he assured his followers that Oslo was a mere tactic, part of a larger phased struggle to destroy Israel.
The West heard diplomacy. His people heard warfare by other means.
Hamas inherited and perfected that model.
To Western media, they talk about ceasefires and humanitarian pauses. Inside Gaza, they promise endless struggle "From the River to the Sea."
Every pause is a reload. Every deal is a temporary tactic.
Iran, Hamas' patron and strategist, plays the same two-faced game. Diplomats speak of cooperation while crowds chant "Death to America" and "Death to Israel."
Western negotiators applaud agreements, then Iran expands its missile program and funds terror operations across the region.
Deception isn't a flaw in their foreign policy.
It's the foundation of it.
So yes, Oct. 10, was a moment of joy.
It could not be a moment of blindness.
President Ronald Reagan captured the right posture long ago, "Trust, but verify."
Optimism without verification is not hope. It's a gamble.
Agreements with terror organizations demand monitoring, enforcement, and consequences.
Anything less invites manipulation.
Western diplomats are quick to declare "progress."
They crave headlines suggesting that hostage releases signal a path to peace.
The United Nations congratulates itself. European leaders talk about turning points.
Media outlets call these developments "promising."
Israel does not have the luxury of wishful thinking. America shouldn't either.
Hamas did not return hostages because it discovered morality.
It returned them because it believes doing so advances its strategy.
Each phase earns political leverage.
Each concession increases pressure on Israel to hold back militarily.
Hamas already frames these releases as proof that kidnappings work.
—Its charter remains unchanged.
—Its tunnels are being rebuilt.
—Its leaders are plotting the next attack.
Which is why Israel must continue to meet every phase of this agreement with both gratitude and grit. Celebrate the safe return of beloved citizens.
Honor the bravery and resilience that made it possible.
Then verify. Then enforce. Then stay alert.
America must also accept reality. Strength deters evil. Accountability constrains aggression. Sentiment alone has never disarmed Hamas or restrained Iran.
Peace in this region will never be secured by trusting the promises of terrorists.
It will only come when those who thrive on violence understand that deceit no longer buys them time and that every false word carries a cost.
On Oct. 10, Israel rejoiced.
Families who had lived in torment finally held their loved ones again. The nation proved once more that it will never abandon its own.
In the days and weeks that follow, vigilance will decide whether this joy endures.
Trust, but verify.
Anything less isn't diplomacy. It's delusion.
Robert Chernin is a business leader, political adviser, and podcast host. He's been a consultant on presidential, senatorial, congressional, and gubernatorial races, including roles in the campaigns of George W. Bush and John McCain. Robert serves as chairman of Israel Appreciation Day, American Center for Education and Knowledge, and The American Coalition. Read Robert Chernin's Reports — More Here.
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