Gaza Temporary Truce Extended Another 24 Hours
The Facts
Israel and Hamas again agreed to extend the Qatari-mediated temporary truce between them early on Thursday after Hamas submitted a list of women and children who could be freed to the Israeli government. The list includes eight total people and would extend the truce by another 24 hours; Hamas has released 95 hostages in exchange for 210 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel also released another 30 Palestinian prisoners on Wednesday, all of whom, except one, were arrested after Hamas's Oct. 7 surprise attack. This included the prominent Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi — a 22-year-old who gained global notoriety in 2017 when she slapped an Israeli soldier who took part in a raid on her West Bank village; she was again arrested earlier this month for violent social media posts against Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
The Spin
Pro-Israel narrative
While freeing hostages is of the utmost importance, Israel must not succumb to unfair international pressure. Hamas has a history of forcing uneven deals, and the Israeli war cabinet made the right decision by weighing its options before accepting this temporary pause. It should remain clear, however, that Israel's ultimate goal is to eliminate Hamas from the Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem will continue to work toward this end even if that necessitates a resumption of conflict.
Pro-Palestine narrative
The Israeli military has inflicted disproportionate harm on the civilians of Gaza as opposed to on Hamas itself, and further assaults could lead to the deaths of many more. Israel has made a wise choice to bring its citizens home immediately through this temporary ceasefire, which should be extended. This will also see much-needed aid reach Gaza, where an utter humanitarian cataclysm has unfolded.