Opinion and Commentary By Donna Westfall – January 19, 2025

Tel Aviv – This morning the Red Cross took charge of the three women held hostage since the brutal attack by Hamas October 7, 2023. After being checked out the women were transferred to the IDF and on their way to a hospital. The three women were seen walking on their own which is encouraging.

Romi Gonen, 24 years old,

Emily Damari, 28 years old, and

Doron Steinbrecher, 31 years old.

Does it seem right that the release of 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees will also take place today which are made up of 69 women and nine minors, the youngest of whom is 15. Doesn’t seem right to me at all, but that’s the price they agreed to. President-Elect Trump promised there would be hell to pay if this ceasefire/hostage release didn’t take place before he entered office on January 20th. Apparently someone was listening and the deal was made. Of course, Biden takes credit.

I’m wondering what it will cost the American taxpayers in the coming years because so much infrastructure was destroyed in Gaza. Aside from that, if we compare the amounts of money we’ve paid ($17.9 billion on military aid to Israel from October 2023 to October 2024), and (over $1.2 billion in humanitarian assistance since October 7, 2023 to the Palestinians), to what would be required to clean-up, clear-out and rebuild, the UN estimated that 69% of the building were damaged or destroyed.

The World Bank states it would cost about $18.5 billion in damage. Some estimates say it would take 3-4 years to rebuild, others say it would take 4-5 years. Yet others say even with 100 trucks working full time it would take 15 years to clear away just the rubble. There are about 2.3 million Palestinians that call Gaza home. Perhaps there are some Palestinians with brains that will kick the Hamas perpetrators out. I won’t hold my breath.

Does it make any sense to anybody that the hatred of these Hamas bloody murderers killing over 1200 men, women and children on October 7, 2023 and taking 250 hostage that they could not predict that so many Palestinians would be killed due to the war that would erupt? One has to wonder how utterly stupid they are! But such is the mentality of war mongers.

Over the next six weeks, an additional 33 hostages are scheduled to be released and that’s if there are no more kinks in the road. I wouldn’t want to bet any money on that.

Meanwhile, thousands of Israeli’s gathered, a jubilant, happy crowd, there to welcome home the three women.