What will come next remains unclear in the absence of a comprehensive agreement on the postwar future of Gaza, and although the stated aim of the ceasefire is to end the war entirely, it could easily unravel.

Israel’s government approved a ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas, paving the way for the agreement to take effect Sunday and potentially signalling a new chapter in a bloody 15-month conflict that has enflamed the Middle East.

Ashley Waxman Bakshi knows the Gaza ceasefire agreement is a bad deal for Israel, but she believes it could be the last chance she has of seeing her cousin Agam again.