Israel let tens of thousands of Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas​, under terms of a fragile ceasefire​.

Israel and Hamas reached a deal to resolve a disagreement over the exchange of a female civilian hostage that had threatened to derail the truce. Lebanon, however, saw the deadliest day since Israel’s truce with Hezbollah took effect.

With a new administration in Washington and a renewed focus on the West Bank, it is in Israel’s interests to maintain the ceasefire in Lebanon. Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire in late November 2024 to end more than a year of fighting.