Patrick Kingsley

And we're also left with questions about what all this means in the long term for Israelis, for Palestinians in Gaza, in the West Bank, and also for the region, the Middle East as a whole.

And we're also left with questions about what all this means in the long term for Israelis, for Palestinians in Gaza, in the West Bank, and also for the region, the Middle East as a whole.

For Gazans, it is, at least for a few weeks... Respite from one of the most intense aerial campaigns and ground invasions, certainly in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but also in 21st century warfare. And even if this deal collapses after six weeks, it gives them the opportunity to have a night's sleep without bombardment.

For Gazans, it is, at least for a few weeks... Respite from one of the most intense aerial campaigns and ground invasions, certainly in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but also in 21st century warfare. And even if this deal collapses after six weeks, it gives them the opportunity to have a night's sleep without bombardment.

It gives people a chance to find their loved ones whose corpses have been trapped on the rubble for months, in some cases over a year. It gives hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in southern Gaza the ability to finally, after more than a year of displacement, return home to northern Gaza.

It gives people a chance to find their loved ones whose corpses have been trapped on the rubble for months, in some cases over a year. It gives hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in southern Gaza the ability to finally, after more than a year of displacement, return home to northern Gaza.

Scores of universities, hospitals, medical centers have been destroyed during this war, and it could even take decades to repair some of that damage.

Scores of universities, hospitals, medical centers have been destroyed during this war, and it could even take decades to repair some of that damage.

So Hamas is a movement and the Hamas-controlled Ghazan authorities don't really have the ability to do much of this on their own. They're going to rely on massive overseas help from the rest of the Arab world, from the United Nations, and exactly how that is going to work has not yet been decided.

So Hamas is a movement and the Hamas-controlled Ghazan authorities don't really have the ability to do much of this on their own. They're going to rely on massive overseas help from the rest of the Arab world, from the United Nations, and exactly how that is going to work has not yet been decided.

The deal gives them the chance of survival. As the war went on, they were losing more troops, more operatives, more leaders. Their top leader Yahya Sinwa was killed, if you recall, in October. Sinwa's predecessor Ismail Haniyeh was killed also in the summer.

The deal gives them the chance of survival. As the war went on, they were losing more troops, more operatives, more leaders. Their top leader Yahya Sinwa was killed, if you recall, in October. Sinwa's predecessor Ismail Haniyeh was killed also in the summer.

Now that the war has stopped, at least for now, and there's a possibility that the initial six-week ceasefire will extend into something longer, they may be able to survive the war both intact as a movement and in power as a governing force in the Gaza Strip.

Now that the war has stopped, at least for now, and there's a possibility that the initial six-week ceasefire will extend into something longer, they may be able to survive the war both intact as a movement and in power as a governing force in the Gaza Strip.

They said words to that effect. After the October 7th raid by Hamas and its allies, Israel basically said its two goals of the war would be to return the hostages captured by Hamas and its allies on October 7th and to destroy Hamas's military capabilities and its governing capabilities. If they are still able to govern Hamas,

They said words to that effect. After the October 7th raid by Hamas and its allies, Israel basically said its two goals of the war would be to return the hostages captured by Hamas and its allies on October 7th and to destroy Hamas's military capabilities and its governing capabilities. If they are still able to govern Hamas,

Gaza Strip after the war ends, or if the ceasefire becomes a permanent one, then that would represent something of a victory for the group, even if their actions have resulted in the decimation of the territory that they controlled before the war began.

Gaza Strip after the war ends, or if the ceasefire becomes a permanent one, then that would represent something of a victory for the group, even if their actions have resulted in the decimation of the territory that they controlled before the war began.

In the short term, it brings also some respite, also some joy to an Israeli society that has been traumatized both by the October 7th attacks, which were the deadliest attacks on Israel in its history, but also by the 466 days since Israel in which Israelis have been torn by guilt and sadness over the continued incarceration of their friends, relatives in Gaza.

In the short term, it brings also some respite, also some joy to an Israeli society that has been traumatized both by the October 7th attacks, which were the deadliest attacks on Israel in its history, but also by the 466 days since Israel in which Israelis have been torn by guilt and sadness over the continued incarceration of their friends, relatives in Gaza.