At the time, Israel's air strike against the Hamas negotiating team in Qatar seemed like yet another escalation that pushed the prospect of peace further away.
The attack on 9 September violated the sovereignty of an American ally and risked expanding the conflict into a region-wide war.
Diplomacy appeared to be in ruins.
Instead it turned out to be a key moment that has led to a deal, announced by President Donald Trump, to release all remaining hostages.
This is a goal that he, and President Joe Biden before him, had sought for nearly two years.
