So far, the ceasefire between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas, originally set at four days and since extended twice as more hostages and prisoners are exchanged, remains in place. There have been concerns that isolated incidents of violence, including one in Jerusalem where three Israeli civilians were gunned down in an attack claimed by Hamas, might kickstart hostilities once again. But the tenuous pause in the fighting seems, by and large, to be holding.
As a result, aid continues to get into the war-torn Gaza Strip, and the exchange of Israeli hostages taken in the October 7 attacks for Palestinians, most of them women and children held in “administrative detention” in Israel, continues.
In the meantime, we have found out more about the horrors of October 7, including which groups joined Hamas in its killing and kidnapping spree. A BBC report has revealed that five separate armed militias were involved besides Hamas – and that Hamas had trained with up to ten other armed groups prior to the attacks.
