The streets of Tel Aviv felt empty this Monday morning. Apart from people rushing to work or walking their dogs, the place seemed relatively deserted. Even some of the most popular coffee spots had more vacant seats than occupied ones. This day feels like a holy day – not because it actually is one (it’s Simchat Torah Eve) – but because of the return of the last 20 living hostages from Hamas captivity. There was no need to ask where everyone was. Thousands had gathered in “hostages square” in Tel Aviv (formerly known as Museum Square – and who knows if that name will ever return). Others were glued to their television screens at home, as if it were the World Cup final. Thinking about it, the war’s final act trumps even that. Apparently, the sound of silence can be full of joy.

Ever since the deal was struck and the war finally came to an end, it seems Israel has been under the influence of the best drug imaginable. Strolling through the streets now, you see people smiling for no reason – or perhaps for the best reason of all. Even the serious faces worn by TV anchors have been replaced by cheerful ones. “Today is the day I smile,” said one correspondent gladly this morning, stating the obvious. But as the TV presenters and panellists persisted with the good news theme, you could not help but notice the other footage. As the buses and Red Cross vehicles drove through the Gaza Strip on their mission to bring the hostages back, the scene was one of destruction – ruins of cities where people once lived.

The fight for the hostages and the calamity in

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