Terrifying spectre hangs over ambiguous Gaza ceasefire deal
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In a region bereft of hope, the prospect of a ceasefire represents a flicker of possibility - but make no mistake, there's still a great deal of uncertainty about the deal. If all goes well, the violence in Gaza which has ravaged the enclave for 467 long and brutal days will halt and hopefully lead to a better future.
However, the question remains - just how likely is the ceasefire deal to succeed in the long term?. Ceasefire deal latest: Dozens reported dead in Gaza strikes. The agreement will in the short term offer at least a pause from the fighting. It's perhaps better to look at it in that context, as a cessation of hostilities rather than an actual ceasefire.
More than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel's military campaign, according to the Hamas-led health ministry in Gaza. Israel launched its response after around 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on 7 October 2023.
For Israel, the deal in the first phase will see the release of 33 hostages who have been held inside the strip since they were kidnapped that day. It is not lost on anyone though how difficult it's been - after many false starts - to get to this point.
The deal itself is deliberately ambiguous and there's a sense that it's been left that way to simply get it across the line and started. Much could still go wrong and there are more questions than there are answers. Hamas is involved in the negotiations, but Israel has made it clear that it can have no place in post-war Gaza.
