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Cease-Fire Declared in Israel-Hamas War: 4-Day Truce Precedes Hostage-Prisoner Swap

The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza that began last week has proven to be a much-needed respite from the heavy casualties inflicted on both sides over the last 11 days. For the first time since the outbreak of hostilities in the region, Israel and Hamas agreed on a four-day ceasefire that took effect on Friday, May 21, 2021. The ceasefire, which was mediated by Egypt, was agreed upon after the Israel-Hamas conflict had already claimed the lives of at least 253 Palestinians and 12 Israelis. Although tensions had been high since the month of April, the conflict spread even further when Palestinian militants in Gaza launched a barrage of rockets into Israel on May 10. Israel responded in kind by launching air strikes into Gaza in retaliation, leading to a full-blown war. But, in a remarkable turnaround, this past Friday morning saw an agreement between the two sides that has brought an end to the violence. The truce was seen as a prelude to further peace talks between Israel and Hamas. According to reports, the talks will focus on a possible prisoner swap, in which Israel will release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of two Israeli hostages and the remains of two Israeli soldiers who were killed in the conflict. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, released a statement regarding the ceasefire, proclaiming that Israel had “acted with huge force” against Hamas and that it has now “achieved a significant contribution to the security of the state of Israel.” He further emphasized that “Israel will not tolerate any violation of the ceasefire” and that it will “respond with force” if attacked. The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, also released a statement praising the ceasefire and expressing his hope that “these talks will set the stage for the realisation of a durable ceasefire and the start of negotiations on the political track.” Although there is still much uncertainty as to whether the ceasefire will hold in the long-term, the agreement has been welcomed as a positive step forward by people from both camps. With the ceasefire set to end on Tuesday, both sides have much to gain if they can come to some kind of diplomatic solution to the conflict. For now, however, the ceasefire has brought some much needed relief to millions of people who have been living under fear of violence. Let us now hope that this ceasefire can act as a bridge towards a lasting and peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.