“A little over a week has passed since the start of the U.S.-proposed ceasefire aimed at ending two years of war. U.S. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire remained in place and ‘we want to make sure it’s going to be very peaceful.’” - RNS
“Four deceased hostages were returned to Israel on Monday, and another 24 are supposed to be turned over as part of the first phase of the ceasefire, which also requires Israel to allow a surge of food and other humanitarian aid into Gaza.” - Baptist Press
“Many expressed relief at the prospect of an end to the two-year war but pointed out that ceasefires have been broken before.” - RNS
“Netanyahu stressed that the 21-point plan ‘achieves our war aims,’ namely, envisioning the return of all hostages within three days and outlining a process to dismantle Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities.” - CPost
Also:
“This war, part of the broader Israel-Palestine conflict, seems unwinnable. Hamas will not surrender, but Israel cannot accept an end to the war that leaves them in power, licking their wounds and planning their next attack, so the war continues.” - Providence
“To be clear: our condemnation is not about stifling legitimate critique of government policies. Rather, the WCC’s statement crosses far beyond such criticism, constructing a narrative that vilifies Israel while ignoring critical realities, thereby exacerbating conflict and hatred.” - RNS
“the public’s views of Israel have turned more negative over the past three years. More than half of U.S. adults (53%) now express an unfavorable opinion of Israel, up from 42% in March 2022” - Pew
“Have no illusions. It is not as if these Gaza demonstrators are friends of Israel. It is not even the case that ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ But they are fed up with Hamas.” - RNS
“…framing Israel’s actions solely in terms of ‘cruelty’ without acknowledging the necessity of dismantling a terrorist infrastructure that has repeatedly targeted civilians diminishes the suffering experienced by Israeli families and communities.” - IJCIC
“By the end of the day, over 1,200 Israelis—men, women, children, even babies—were slaughtered. For around 250 others, however, the terror was just beginning, to be followed by captivity in Gaza.” - Providence
