How Will the Israel-Hamas Agreement Shape the Conflict's Future?

Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on Monday to extend their truce. What does this mean for the future of the conflict?

For Context: Hamas and Israel agreed to a four-day ceasefire last week, in which 50 Israeli hostages were exchanged for 150 imprisoned Palestinian women and children. Israel said it would grant an additional day of truce for every 10 additional prisoners Hamas released. Not all hostages in Gaza are held by Hamas, and according to an Israeli official, there was an understanding that Hamas would use the four-day truce to locate 20 more hostages.

How The Media Covered It: National Review's editorial board (Right bias) warned that extending the agreement any longer "would bring an end to the war with Hamas still in power and able to rebuild." Vox (Left bias) said the extension "is good news for anyone concerned about the humanitarian conditions and plight of prisoners and hostages," but "bigger questions about the war’s path and the future of Gaza remain as unclear as they were when this pause began." Forbes (Center bias) highlighted voices who "highly doubt this brief truce will lead to a long-lasting ceasefire or any significant cessation of hostilities in a war nearing its fiftieth day."