Cheer for deal that’ll bring hostages home — and pray Israel is allowed to defeat Hamas once they’re back

A Gaza cease-fire deal will free 33 hostages from Hamas’ brutal grip — Hooray!

The first should be released in days, with more to follow, in the agreement’s first phase.

It’s a dream come true — for them, their families and their fellow countrymen.

And a huge win for America’s next president, Donald Trump, whose threats that “all hell will break out” if the captivity continued clearly sealed the deal.

Kudos, too, to his and Biden’s aides, who worked cooperatively to push the deal into the end zone.

And to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: The military pressure he kept up against Hamas — despite relentless calls (including from Team Biden) to stand down — also helped forced the terrorist group to sign on.

Yes, the deal has risks: Israel is to withdraw its forces from populated areas of Gaza, relieving Hamas of military concerns.

Trump’s threats that “all hell will break out” helped push Hamas to agree to the hostage-release deal. Getty Images

Ultimately, Jerusalem may free more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including cold-blooded murderers; some may join Hamas in new attacks, just as Yahya Sinwar planned the Oct. 7 massacre after he was freed in a hostage deal years ago.

Worse, the terror group remains alive for now and, though severely weakened, retains much power over Gaza.

Worse still, it’s been recruiting new fighters: Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the rookies have nearly replaced Hamas’ losses.

The biggest risk: Phase 2 calls Israeli forces to leave all of Gaza to get the remaining hostages freed (for more Palestinian prisoners) as the temporary cease-fire becomes permanent.

Yet letting Hamas not only survive in Gaza, but likely control it, would be a nightmare.

President Biden even claims the cease-fire will remain in place if the parties can’t reach an agreement on Phase 2 after Phase 1 expires in 42 days, as long as negotiations continue.

Good thing Joe will be long gone by then: His scheme would let Hamas drag out talks as it rebuilds its bunkers and tunnels.

Happily, it’ll be Trump and Bibi addressing those issues.

In reality, the cease-fire is temporary until and unless Israel agrees to a permanent one: It will (unless Hamas’ fighters on the ground renege) save roughly half the remaining still-living hostages.

That’s a triumph in and of itself.

And it leaves the IDF in control of Gaza’s southern border, greatly limiting the terrorists’ ability to resupply, while offering hope that Israel can retrieve the rest of the hostages soon, and while reserving the right to resume the war thereafter if Hamas refuses to surrender.

Pray any final deal will allow the Israeli people to live in peace and prevail over the butchers once and for all.

And cheer the return of the innocents finally coming home.