JERUSALEM — President Donald Trump‘s historic ceasefire plan between Israel and Hamas passed its first hurdle on Oct. 13, when the last 20 living Israeli hostages in captivity returned home to a grateful nation exhausted by two years of unrelenting war.  

Despite Trump’s reported anger at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to attack Hamas leaders in Qatar on Sept. 9, and the Israeli leader’s initial reluctance to accept the ceasefire plan, the president and prime minister presented a friendly and united front as they — and the officials and negotiators who worked tirelessly on the plan — savored the hostages’ release and what Trump promised would be a new Middle East.