Israel strikes a hostage deal, but says the Gaza war isn’t over

SINCEit began seven weeks ago, Israel’s war in Gaza has had two main objectives: to remove Hamas from power in the enclave, and to free the hostages Hamas abducted during its murderous rampage on October 7th. At times those goals have been in conflict. Air strikes meant to damage Hamas’s network of underground tunnels, for instance, risked killing the hostages held in those same tunnels.The war now faces perhaps its biggest contradiction yet. On November 22nd, after weeks of indirect talks, the Israeli cabinet approved a deal that would see Hamas free 50 women and children out of the roughly 240 hostages in Gaza. But Israel will temporarily have to halt its war and will face strong pressure not to resume it.