CAIRO (AP) — A ceasefire was holding in Gaza between Israel and Hamas on Saturday after two years of war . But will the agreement lead, as U.S. President Donald Trump proclaimed, to “a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace”?

The deal took pressure on Israel and Hamas from the United States, Arab countries and Turkey. The war has devastated the Gaza Strip, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians , sparked other conflicts around the region and increasingly isolated Israel.

The deal's first phase is meant to free the remaining hostages within days in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

A long list of questions remains over what happens next.

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,

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