News
Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal: Why now and what next?
A Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal is expected to begin January 19, 2025, aiming to end conflict and facilitate reconstruction after months of violence.
Asher Kaufman, University of Notre Dame
A much-anticipated Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal is set to take effect on Jan. 19, 2025 – subject to an Israeli government vote on the package scheduled for the morning of Jan. 16.
The breakthrough comes 15 months into the bloody conflict sparked by an Oct. 7 2023, attack by Hamas gunmen in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 hostages taken. In the subsequent bombing and siege of the Gaza Strip, some 45,000 Palestinians have been killed.
But why has the breakthrough happened now, and what does this mean for the long-term prospects of a more permanent peace? The Conversation turned to Asher Kaufman, an expert on Israeli history and professor of peace studies at University of Notre Dame, for answers.
What is the main content of the deal?
Not all the details have been ironed out or released. But what we do know is this:
The deal is divided into three stages. In the first stage, 33 women, children and men who are sick or over the age of 55 will be released in stages over 42 days. The hostages, thought to have been held by Hamas in its network of tunnels under Gaza since Oct. 7, include two American nationals. In total, 94 hostages remain in captivity, including 34 thought to be dead.
The Israeli military will also allow Palestinians forced to leave northern Gaza to return, although much of the area and their homes are in complete ruins.
On the 16th day of implementation, negotiations will begin regarding the next stage of the deal, which will include the release of the remaining hostages taken by Hamas. As part of this stage, Israel will withdraw its forces to a defensive belt that will serve as a buffer between the Gaza Strip and Israel.
In exchange for freeing the hostages, Israel will release Palestinian prisoners according to an agreed-upon ratio for each Israeli dead or living civilian or soldier hostage. In the initial wave, hundreds of Palestinian women and children currently held in Israeli prisons will be freed. Also, Israel will allow more humanitarian assistance to flow into Gaza.
The third stage of the deal will include the release of the remaining dead hostages and will focus on the reconstruction of Gaza supervised by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations. At this stage, Israel will be expected to fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
How significant is the breakthrough?
Fifteen months of war has devastated Gaza. This deal opens the possibility of ending the fighting there and could allow for the first steps toward reconstruction and stabilization in the Palestinian enclave.
It could also allow the incoming Trump administration to focus on other issues that are more central to its foreign policy agenda, such as a potential new deal with Iran and the resumption of normalization talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia, connected to the creation of a new security alliance with the U.S.
For Israel, it means the possibility of an end to its longest war, which has cost a fortune, eroded its international standing and severely divided its society between supporters and opponents of the government. It could end the state of emergency that has been in effect since Oct. 7, 2023, allowing Israeli society to begin its own recovery.
What issues remain outstanding?
There are big question marks over the later stages of the deal. Important members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, including Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, have been accused of being more interested in a permanent occupation of the Gaza Strip than in the release of the hostages. As such, they will be loath to agree to any measures that would lead to a handing over of governance and security in the enclave to Palestinians.
Throughout the conflict, the Israel government has made it clear that it envisions no role for Hamas in a post-conflict Gaza. But Hamas’ main rival, the Palestinian Authority, has little credibility among Gaza’s residents. It leaves a gaping question of who will govern in Gaza.
There is also concern that if Israel was genuinely interested in full implementation of the deal, it could have reached an agreement that includes the complete withdrawal from Gaza in return for release of all hostages, rather than an agreement implemented in stages.
Why did talks succeed now, but earlier attempts fail?
This deal has been on the table at least since May 2024. But Netanyahu and his government have opposed it due mainly to their desire that Israel remain in control of Gaza.
Some of his government ministers also want to establish Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and have explicitly spoken about creating the conditions for reducing the numbers of Palestinians in the strip.
Critics of Netanyahu have also suggested that the prime minister wanted to prolong the war as long as possible because it served him politically.
But the entry of Donald Trump into the equation after his election as U.S. president changed the dynamics between Israel, Hamas and the U.S.
Trump wants to be seen as a deal-maker on the global stage, and Netanyahu – a close ally of the Republican – feels inclined to help Trump on this matter. The timing of the deal allows Trump to claim a role, while also allowing Joe Biden to leave office with a foreign policy “win.”
There are also hopes in Israel that forging a deal now clears the way for the resumption of normalization talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia – a process kick-started under Trump’s first administration.
Netanyahu may be betting on a deal with Saudi Arabia to balance out his tarnished reputation at home as the Israeli leader in control when the Oct. 7 massacre occurred.
How will the deal play out in Israel’s fractious politics?
This is the big question that will determine the fate of the deal in the long term.
Its provisions contradict fundamentally the aspirations of many members in Netanyahu’s ruling coalition – and they may do the best they can to sabotage it.
It is still not clear if these right-wing holdouts will exit the government or stay in the coalition under the belief that the latter phases of the deal are not going to be implemented.
What does it mean for the future of Hamas and its role in Gaza?
The agreement does not specify conditions to replace Hamas’ rule in Gaza.
Netanyahu has so far objected to any efforts to facilitate the return of the Palestinian Authority or allow any other Arab or international consortium to run civilian affairs in the strip.
Hamas, for its part, has no interest in facilitating its replacement by other governing bodies and ceding control of Gaza. But having lost key members of its leadership over the course of the war, the militant group is in a less powerful position than it was before Oct. 7.
A cynical view might be that having a weakened Hamas remain in power may actually serve Netanyahu’s interests, allowing him to manage the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rather than trying to resolve it. This had been his approach before Oct. 7, and there are no indications that it has changed.
Asher Kaufman, Professor of History and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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The Long Track Back
LA Metro Locks In Vermont BRT Funding as World Cup Results Point Toward 2028
Metro’s World Cup service carried 212,865 passenger trips across eight matches. Its after-action report points to strong demand while identifying bus lanes, shuttle frequency, parking prices, and shade as priorities for future major events.
Last Updated on September 21, 2026 by Daily News Staff
A fully funded rapid-bus project and more than 212,000 World Cup shuttle trips offer two revealing signs of how Los Angeles is preparing for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
LA Metro has reached a major funding milestone for one of its most important bus projects while releasing new evidence that transit can move a significant share of spectators during major international events.
A newly issued Metro report confirms that the Federal Transit Administration executed a $149.9 million Small Starts grant agreement for the Vermont Transit Corridor Bus Rapid Transit project on September 2, 2026. Metro now describes the proposed $413.8 million life-of-project budget as fully funded through federal, state and local sources.
Separately, Metro’s official review of the 2026 FIFA World Cup found that its special bus network carried 212,865 passenger trips during eight matches in Inglewood—approximately 20 percent of total match attendance.
Together, the developments show Metro moving from planning toward delivery: building permanent improvements for one of Los Angeles County’s busiest bus corridors while applying lessons from the World Cup to the much larger transportation challenge awaiting the region in 2028.
Vermont Avenue BRT moves closer to construction
The Vermont Transit Corridor would create a 12.4-mile, all-day bus rapid transit route between Sunset Boulevard and 120th Street. It would connect with the B, C, D and E rail lines and include 26 enhanced stations at 13 locations.
Metro’s existing Vermont Avenue service carries approximately 38,000 weekday boardings but operates through some of the region’s most congested streets. The BRT project would add dedicated side-running bus lanes, upgraded stations, improved lighting, transit-signal priority, real-time arrival information and pedestrian-safety improvements.
Metro estimates that the project could attract approximately 12,000 additional daily riders while improving the speed and reliability of every bus operating through the corridor.
The funding package includes:
- $149.9 million from the FTA Small Starts program
- $106.34 million from the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program
- $81.06 million from California’s SB 1 Local Partnership Program
- $44.49 million in Proposition C funding
- $25 million from Measure M
- $5 million from the state Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program
- $2 million in federal Community Project Funding
Metro anticipates authorizing and executing additional early-work packages beginning in the fourth quarter of 2026. Major construction is expected to begin in fall 2026, with passenger service targeted for June 2028—just weeks before the Olympic Games begin in Los Angeles.
That is a more precise schedule than earlier project information, which described construction as beginning in late 2026 or early 2027 and service starting generally in time for the Games.
The $413.8 million life-of-project budget still requires final Metro Board approval. The federal grant agreement, however, removes a major financial uncertainty and gives Metro a clearer path toward construction.
World Cup transit carried one in five spectators
Metro’s World Cup after-action report provides the most complete picture yet of how the agency performed during its first major test ahead of 2028.
Metro deployed 300 buses over 15 special routes connecting SoFi Stadium with rail stations, transit hubs and temporary park-and-ride locations across Los Angeles and Orange counties. The service carried 212,865 passenger trips over eight matches, including 31,536 trips on the busiest match day.
According to Metro, the operation recorded no missed trips caused by mechanical problems, no traffic incidents and no safety incidents. The agency reported 100 percent fleet availability.
Customer surveys were also favorable. Metro said 91 percent of special-shuttle riders were satisfied with the service, while 93 percent indicated they would likely use a similar direct-service option during the 2028 Games. Perceived safety received a 96 percent satisfaction rating.
Contactless payment played a significant role. Approximately 72 percent of World Cup shuttle riders paid directly with a contactless credit or debit card—a systemwide feature Metro launched shortly before the tournament.
The operation was not without lessons. Riders and participating agencies identified several areas needing improvement, including dedicated bus lanes, more frequent shuttles, lower park-and-ride prices, additional shade, better group-payment options and more seating for passengers with accessibility needs.
Those concerns become more consequential when looking toward 2028. The Olympics and Paralympics will last longer than the World Cup, involve substantially more events and disperse spectators across venues throughout the region. An operation that succeeded for eight matches must therefore be expanded without disrupting everyday bus and rail riders.
A glimpse of Metro’s 2028 strategy
The Vermont BRT and World Cup results represent different sides of the same challenge.
The BRT project is a permanent investment intended to improve everyday mobility in East Hollywood, Koreatown, Exposition Park, South Los Angeles, West Athens and Westmont. Its Olympic value is important, but its lasting value will be measured by whether buses become faster and more dependable for the thousands of residents who already use the corridor.
The World Cup service, meanwhile, demonstrates that direct event shuttles can persuade a meaningful share of spectators to leave their cars behind. It also reveals the extraordinary staffing, equipment, coordination and street priority required to make those services work.
Metro has now shown that the model can succeed at World Cup scale. The next test is whether the agency can complete projects such as the Vermont BRT on schedule and turn a successful temporary operation into a repeatable regional system for 2028—and beyond.
Primary sources
- LA Metro: Vermont Transit Corridor BRT life-of-project budget report
- Federal Transit Administration: Vermont Avenue BRT project profile
- LA Metro: 2026 FIFA World Cup debrief
The Long Track Back examines the projects, decisions and turning points reshaping public transportation across Los Angeles County.
The Long Track Back follows the history and future of Los Angeles transit—from the lines the region lost to the rail and bus projects reshaping how people move today. Explore the decisions, construction milestones, and ridership trends behind LA’s changing network.
Update (September 22, 2026): Metro’s separate 2028 Games mobility report explains what happens next with the World Cup lessons. Metro is using its observations and rider surveys to refine Olympic transit plans, but says it needs funding certainty by the end of 2026 to keep major preparations on schedule. The report does not announce a change to the World Cup ridership figures cited above. (File #: 2026-0617)
Community
PenFed Foundation Raises Over $1.2M for Veterans and Military Families at 23rd Annual Military Heroes Golf Classic
The PenFed Foundation says it raised over $1.2 million for veterans and military families at its 23rd annual Military Heroes Golf Classic.
The PenFed Foundation for Military Heroes said it raised more than $1.2 million to support veterans and military families during its 23rd annual Military Heroes Golf Classic, held Monday, Aug. 31, according to a PRNewswire release. The nonprofit, based in the Washington, D.C. region, focuses on helping veterans transition “from service to success” through programs and grants aimed at military-connected communities.
“We are deeply grateful to our partners and supporters whose generosity and dedication make this event—and the Foundation’s work—possible,” said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Bradford J. “B.J.” Shwedo, president of the PenFed Foundation, in a statement announcing the fundraising total.
At a dinner held the night before the Golf Classic, PenFed Credit Union President/CEO and PenFed Foundation CEO James Schenck recognized Ed Cody for 25 years of service on the foundation’s board of directors. Cody also serves as chairman of the PenFed Credit Union board and was credited with helping guide initiatives including Defender’s Lodge, the Afghan Rescue and Resettlement Program, the Veteran Entrepreneur Program, and grants supporting wounded, ill, and injured service members.
The foundation said it has provided more than $55 million in financial support to veterans, active-duty service members, and military families since it was founded in 2001. It also noted that PenFed Credit Union covers salaries and administrative costs, allowing more donations to go directly to programs.
What to watch for: How the foundation allocates the new $1.2M across its veteran transition and emergency support programs—and whether it announces new grant rounds tied to entrepreneurship and resettlement work.
SOURCE PenFed Foundation
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Forgotten Genius Fridays
Benjamin O. Davis Sr.: The General Who Broke the U.S. Military’s Color Barrier
Benjamin O. Davis Sr. rose from the ranks of the Buffalo Soldiers to become the first Black general in U.S. military history. His remarkable career spanned roughly 50 years and helped challenge racial barriers inside a segregated Army.
Forgotten Genius Fridays | STM Daily News
Before the Tuskegee Airmen challenged segregation in the skies over World War II, another barrier was being broken within the ranks of the United States Army.
His name was Benjamin O. Davis Sr.
On October 25, 1940, Davis was promoted to brigadier general, becoming the first African American general officer in the Regular Army and the U.S. armed forces. His promotion represented an extraordinary milestone in a military that was still officially segregated.
But Davis’s story didn’t begin with stars on his shoulders.
It began more than four decades earlier.
From Volunteer to Buffalo Soldier
Born in Washington, D.C., on July 1, 1877, Davis entered military service during the Spanish-American War in 1898, serving as a temporary first lieutenant with the 8th United States Volunteer Infantry.
After that unit was mustered out, Davis made a consequential decision. In June 1899, he enlisted as a private in the Regular Army’s 9th Cavalry Regiment.
The 9th Cavalry was one of the famed Black regiments whose soldiers became widely known as the Buffalo Soldiers.
Davis quickly advanced through the enlisted ranks, becoming a corporal and then squadron sergeant major. In February 1901, he received a commission as a second lieutenant of cavalry in the Regular Army.
His journey through the ranks had begun.
Serving an Army That Wasn’t Equal
Davis would serve his country for decades, but his career unfolded inside an institution constrained by racial segregation.
Assignments available to Black officers were limited, particularly because military practices sought to prevent Black officers from commanding white soldiers. Davis consequently spent portions of his career teaching military science at historically Black institutions, including Wilberforce University and Tuskegee Institute, and served as a military attaché in Liberia.
These assignments were important, but they also reflected the racial restrictions under which Black Army officers served.
Despite those obstacles, Davis continued advancing.
He became a lieutenant colonel in 1920 and a colonel in 1930.
Then came 1940.
A Star That Made History
On October 25, 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt promoted Benjamin O. Davis Sr. to brigadier general.
For the first time, a Black officer wore a general’s star in the Regular Army.
The significance extended beyond Davis himself. Black Americans had served in the nation’s armed forces from its earliest conflicts, yet the highest levels of military leadership had remained closed to them.
Davis had broken through that barrier.
Yet the military remained segregated.
Becoming a general did not make segregation disappear.
Instead, Davis would spend part of World War II confronting some of its consequences.
A General Confronts Discrimination
During World War II, Davis served with the Army’s Inspector General organization and undertook assignments involving the conditions and treatment of Black troops.
He traveled extensively, investigated problems affecting soldiers and units, and advised military leaders on matters involving Black servicemen.
His work took him overseas as well. In 1942, he was sent to the European Theater on special duty concerning issues affecting Black troops. He later served in Paris as special assistant to the commanding general of the Communications Zone.
His Distinguished Service Medal citation credited his investigations and advice with helping produce fairer solutions to problems involving soldiers and contributing to broader War Department policy.
Davis therefore occupied an unusual position.
He was simultaneously a senior officer in the United States Army and a Black American serving inside a military whose segregation policies continued to restrict people who looked like him.
Then Came His Son
There is another remarkable dimension to the Benjamin O. Davis story.
While Davis Sr. was breaking barriers within the Army, his son was preparing to break barriers in the air.
Benjamin O. Davis Jr. graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1936 after enduring years of racial isolation from fellow cadets. He would later become a military pilot and eventually command both the 99th Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group, becoming one of the most important leaders associated with the Tuskegee Airmen.
For a period, father and son represented an extraordinary rarity within the U.S. military: two Black career officers operating at a time when opportunities for Black commissioned officers remained severely restricted.
Their stories would eventually become intertwined with one of the most important experiments in American military history.
The Tuskegee Airmen.
Fifty Years of Service
Benjamin O. Davis Sr. retired from active military service on July 14, 1948, completing approximately 50 years of service.
Less than two weeks later, on July 26, President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981, declaring a policy of equality of treatment and opportunity in the armed services regardless of race, color, religion or national origin.
The transformation of the military would take years.
But Davis had spent much of his career pushing against the barriers that made such a transformation necessary.
He died on November 26, 1970, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Among his decorations were the Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, France’s Croix de Guerre with Palm, and Liberia’s Order of the Star of Africa.
Why Benjamin O. Davis Sr. Matters
It would be easy to remember Benjamin O. Davis Sr. simply as the first Black general in American military history.
But his significance runs deeper.
He rose from private to general in an institution that placed substantial racial barriers in his path. He served with the Buffalo Soldiers, educated future officers, represented the United States overseas and advised military leaders about the treatment of Black troops during World War II.
And his story became the first chapter of an extraordinary father-and-son legacy.
Benjamin O. Davis Sr. broke one barrier.
His son would soon take the fight into the skies.
Next in our special series: The Tuskegee Airmen — The Red Tails Who Fought Two Wars.
Then, on the following Forgotten Genius Friday, we’ll tell the remarkable story of Benjamin O. Davis Jr.—from four years of isolation at West Point to commanding the Tuskegee Airmen and ultimately wearing four stars.
Forgotten Genius Fridays is an STM Daily News series highlighting innovators, pioneers and historical figures whose achievements deserve a larger place in our collective memory.
Sources & Related Reading
Primary source: U.S. Army Center of Military History — Benjamin O. Davis Sr. — detailed official chronology of his Army service and historic promotion.
Biography: National Museum of the United States Army — Benjamin O. Davis Sr. — particularly useful for his Buffalo Soldier service, segregation-era assignments and World War II work.
Related: National Park Service — Benjamin O. Davis Jr. — provides the bridge to the next generation and the Tuskegee Airmen.
