What is a ceasefire and what does it mean for war in Israel?
The war between Israel and Hamas is on pause after both sides agreed to a structured ceasefire and hostage swap.
The deal doesn’t end the war, but puts a stop to fighting for now in hopes of brokering a peace agreement.
So, what is ceasefire and what does it mean for the war?
What is a ceasefire?
A ceasefire is a temporary halt to fighting between opposing forces. Essentially, military leadership agrees to end any current battles and not engage in more assaults.
In the case of the Israel-Hamas conflict, it’s aimed at stopping violence in Gaza after more than 15 months of intense conflict.
The aim is to give negotiators time to build a permanent peace deal and get aid and relief to worn-torn areas without causing any more deaths.
For Gaza residents, the ceasefire means a pause in relentless airstrikes; for Israel, it’s an opportunity to secure the return of hostages.
The ceasefire expires in six weeks, but stand-down agreements like this are essentially honor based and either side could resume military action at will, particularly if there is a perceived violation of the ceasefire structure.
Both sides have accused each other of unprovoked attacks, escalations and deliberate civilian casualties over the last 15 months.
This ceasefire was brokered with international help, an important aspect given a number of hostages are from outside the region.