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Most Democrats left President Trump conspicuously unmentioned as they cheered a potential end to the conflict, reflecting the tricky politics around the war and their party's deep hostility to Mr. Trump.
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A ceasefire came into effect in Gaza on Friday after the Israeli government approved the first phase of the U.S.-backed plan to end two years of war in the Palestinian territory. The deal calls for a pause in Israeli attacks, the release of the remaining Israeli captives held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons, as well as an influx of badly needed humanitarian aid for the starving population of Gaza. Israeli forces have pulled back but continue to control roughly half the territory, with the ceasefire agreement calling for further withdrawals in later phases.
"This is a deal that really should have been made long, long ago," says Amjad Iraqi, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group. "We've known that the parameters of this truce have been on the table for well over a year, if not since the very beginning of the war."
Palestinian human rights attorney Diana Buttu says while people are happy for a pause in the slaughter, she finds it "repulsive" that Palestinians had to bargain with their own oppressors. "It should have been that the world put sanctions on Israel to stop the genocide, rather than forcing Palestinians to negotiate an end to it."
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The next 72 hours are expected to see a hostage-prisoner swap, more aid entering Gaza, and a slew of diplomatic meetings.
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President Donald Trump on Thursday credited several Middle Eastern and global leaders for helping secure the first phase of a deal in hopes of ending the two-year war.
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