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What does the ceasefire agreement mean for Israel, Hamas and the wider Middle East?

FILE - Palestinian children play next to a building destroyed by Israeli army strikes in the central Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana, File)
Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
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AP
FILE - Palestinian children play next to a building destroyed by Israeli army strikes in the central Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana, File)

Audio of interview with Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow for US Foreign Policy at the Middle East Institute.

Associated Press— Mediators say Israel and Hamas have agreed to a pause in fighting in Gaza and to begin releasing the hostages held there.

If the ceasefire holds, it could eventually bring an end to the bloodiest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas.

The war transformed the wider region but leaves the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the heart of the turmoil unresolved.

While Israel struck major blows during the war, the “total victory” that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought now appears elusive.

Hamas has survived for now, although Gaza has been ruined. It's unclear now what will happen to the Palestinian territory.