Though the fighting is paused, Israel’s defensive war against Hamas continues. FDD Chief Executive Mark Dubowitz and former Israeli National Security Advisor Eyal Hulata (now a senior international fellow at FDD) both just returned from Israel. Host Cliff May asks them what they saw, heard, and learned about Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas, about Hamas’s allies — in particular Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah — and of course about the wizard behind the curtain: Iran’s rulers.

They discuss details of the ceasefire agreement and hostage exchange — including why calling it a “hostage exchange” is inaccurate, given the imbalance between the innocent civilians being held hostage in Gaza and those imprisoned in Israel for acts of terror; how the delivery of fuel into Gaza during the pause in fighting will likely be exploited by and used to the benefit of Hamas; whether other Iran-backed terrorist groups inside Gaza will also be obliged to put down their weapons; Qatar’s role as both arsonist and firefighter; the sturdiness of President Biden’s support for Israel amidst increasing pressure from some inside his camp; and why anticipated IDF operations in southern Gaza will be more difficult and complex than what we’ve seen in the north.