Last week there was jubilation and relief as the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages were released from Gaza. In return, Israel released 250 Palestinian prisoners and a further 1,700 detainees. This is hopefully a first tentative step towards building a peace process in the Middle East.
Of course there are many issues still to be resolved – for example, how Gaza might be governed and what the proposed multinational "stabilisation force" might look like.
But there is finally a glimmer of hope for ending the war that has torn Gaza apart since Hamas’s terrible massacre and kidnap of Israelis on 7 October 2023. And, credit where it’s due, much of this seems to be down to the tenacity and sheer self-confidence of Donald Trump.
Immigration: Who is shaping our response?
I’ve been reflecting on a moment in Luke 7. A woman comes to Jesus with an alabaster jar of costly …