The News
A temporary truce to end 15 months of fighting in Gaza began Sunday with the release of three Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
The Israeli military also began withdrawing from several locations in the enclave, while some displaced Palestinians started returning home.
The first phase of the ceasefire “will be a time of immense tension,” BBC World Affairs Editor John Simpson noted.
Three far-right Israeli cabinet members resigned over the deal, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure from other hardline partners to restart the war. Meanwhile, Hamas has portrayed the ceasefire as a victory.
“The hatred between Israelis and Palestinians,” Simpson wrote, “is now fiercer than ever.”
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