This Sunday, Israel and Hamas are due to start a 42-day ceasefire in Gaza as part of a deal that could end the war.

The announcement has prompted thousands of Palestinians to celebrate on the streets of Gaza, where residents have had no reprieve from bombardments and ground battles since 2023. 

If the agreement holds, desperately needed humanitarian aid will reach the people of Gaza, many of whom are living in freezing tents in the middle of winter. Dozens of hostages, who have been held by Hamas, will return home to Israel.

Today, research director at The Washington Institute, Dana Stroul, who was the most senior civilian at the Pentagon focused on the Middle East when the war began. Stroul tells us how the deal was struck and how Trump and Biden each claiming the victory as their own obscures an unlikely alliance.

 

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Guest: Research Director at The Washington Institute Dana Stroul

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