Israel’s longest war has so far failed to destroy its main enemy, Hamas, which, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself – and a failure for Israel.

A truce in the brutal war that began with the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks trades 3 Israeli hostages for 100 Palestinian prisoners. No American is on the list.

Three hostages were handed over to Israeli forces — the first of 33 expected to be freed over the next six weeks in exchange for some 1,900 Palestinians. The deal follows months of negotiations.