Israel strikes a hostage deal, but says the Gaza war isn’t over
Hamas is desperate to split Israel and turn a pause into a ceasefire
SINCE it began seven weeks ago, Israel’s war in Gaza has had two main objectives: to remove Hamas from power in the enclave, and to free the hostages Hamas abducted during its murderous rampage on October 7th. At times those goals have been in conflict. Air strikes meant to damage Hamas’s network of underground tunnels, for instance, risked killing the hostages held in those same tunnels.
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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Truce and saved lives”
From the November 25th 2023 edition
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