Does the truce preview the war's endgame?

Families hugging loved ones they've been praying to see for weeks. Caravans of humanitarian aid finally reaching displaced people in Gaza. The extension, through Thursday, of what was meant to be a four-day truce.

These are optimistic signs after weeks of violence in the Israel-Hamas war.

But while the pause has allowed a brief period of wartime calm, experts are concerned about whether this phase of the war foreshadows a true end to the conflict. John Lyndon, executive director of the Alliance for Middle East Peace, told Paste BN the release of hostages is a "silver lining," but he wishes more could be done to stop the violence. "We’re still uncertain about what's going to happen next," he said.

Will the truce continue in small increments? Will bloody fighting resume? Experts like Gili Getz, chair of the American Friends of Combatants for Peace, signal the need for continued international cooperation beyond this moment. "Otherwise,'' he said, ''it's probably impossible to end this war."

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