Israel and Hamas have accepted the first part of a peace agreement that calls for the return of all living Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and Israel’s military to begin to withdraw from most of Gaza. The deal also calls for the surging of humanitarian aid to Gaza’s population of nearly two million Palestinians. Yet, other crucial steps remain to be finalized, including the disarmament of Hamas fighters, the insertion of an international stabilizing force to Gaza, and the establishment of new structures for a Palestinian state not including Hamas. The trauma of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, remains deep in Israeli society. The Israeli military response has greatly weakened Hamas, devastated much of the inhabited areas of Gaza, and killed over sixty-seven thousand Palestinians, according to Hamas and UN officials.
Trump Achieves Breakthrough Gaza Ceasefire, but a Tough Road Lies Ahead (Steven A. Cook – Council on Foreign Relations)
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