After a four-day truce in the fighting, 13 Israeli hostages were handed over to the Red Cross, and another 11 captives, mostly Thai and one from the Philippines, were released by Hamas. The released hostages shared horrific accounts of the atrocities on October 7th when they were abducted and their treatment during captivity. However, the ordeal is not over for the 200 remaining captives still held in Gaza, and the war between Israel and Hamas is expected to continue. The deal for the release of hostages was brokered through Qatari, Egyptian, and American mediation, with Hamas agreeing to free 50 Israeli hostages in exchange for the truce and the release of 150 Palestinians in Israeli prisons. This agreement comes amidst mounting pressure in Israel to bring the hostages home and growing international outrage over the destruction caused by the war. The release of the hostages will further fuel the debate on whether Israel should prioritize saving more hostages or focus on destroying Hamas to ensure the safety of Israelis and the stability of the Gaza Strip.