But will the agreement lead, as US President Donald Trump proclaimed, to “a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace”? It took pressure on Israel and Hamas from the United States, Arab countries and Turkey, each saying it was time to end a two-year war that has devastated the Gaza Strip, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, sparked other conflicts around the region and increasingly isolated Israel.

That push sealed an agreement on a first phase that is to free the remaining living Israeli hostages within days in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But it left unanswered a long list of questions over what happens next. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. Israel wants to ensure that Hamas disarms. Hamas wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza and is not allowed to restart the war. At the same time, a postwar government for Gaza must be worked out to replace Hamas’ rule. Without that, reconstruction is unlikely, leaving Gaza’s more than two million people in continued misery. With no trust between the sides, much relies on continued pressure from the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. Any hitch in working out those intertwined issues could unravel everything and potentially lead to Israel resuming its campaign to destroy Hamas. Here is what we know about the deal.

The ceasefire came into effect at noon Friday. The Israeli military said it had pulled back its troops to lines inside Gaza agreed on for the first day, withdrawing from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gaza’s far north and the wide strip along Gaza’s border with Israel. (Jamaica Gleaner)