Israel’s longest war has so far failed to destroy its main enemy, Hamas, which, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself – and a failure for Israel.
Fighting in Gaza halted on Sunday as the ceasefire deal negotiated went into effect, ending the 15-month-long war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Pope Francis called Sunday for a ceasefire in Gaza to be "immediately respected", as he thanked mediators and urged a boost in humanitarian aid as well as the return of hostages.
The start of the ceasefire was delayed for almost three hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Hamas to provide a list of the hostages who were due to be released during the day.