Paul Kearns: The Israel-Hamas war is over — but neither side has won

The biggest winners in the conflict between Israel and Hamas are the arms industry and Donald Trump, writes Paul Kearns in Tel Aviv

President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on Monday morning. Picture: (AP/Ariel Schalit

The war is apparently over. The bombardment of Gaza has stopped — for now, and the first of the remaining hostages will finally be released as I write this on Monday. Cautious optimism has given way to poignant celebrations in Tel Aviv and across the Gaza Strip.

But after two years of conflict in Gaza that has killed 67,000 Palestinians, and virtually destroyed the entire enclave, a challenging but crucial question needs to be asked.