This is a Start

 

There is, at least, a temporary ceasefire and hostage exchange deal. 

The deal will see Hamas release 30 children, eight mothers and 12 other women, according to Axios and Haaretz. There will be a temporary cease-fire that will begin with four days and be extended by an another day for every 10 additional hostages released by Hamas, The Associated Press added.

Israel is expected to release about 150 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Israel will also allow 300 aid trucks to enter Gaza per day during the pause in fighting in the Palestinian enclave.

The start time of the exchange will be announced in the next 24 hours, Qatar, the lead mediator in the agreement, said.

“After many days of difficult and complex negotiations, we announce, with the help and blessing of God, that we have reached a humanitarian truce,” Hamas said in a statement obtained by The New York Times.

This means less death and devastation, and I hope we can all agree that's a good thing, even if getting to that admission was probably the sticking point in the negotiations. I am pretty much persuaded there are people on both sides who, despite the reality that preservation of life and the restoration of people to their families and/or homes should be considered a blessing, still want violence. As if that is what will bring a good resolution.

Is this satisfactory for everyone? No. Diplomacy has long struck me as being the fine art of eating shit to not 100% please everyone but to establish the goal of getting far less stupid and harmful things to happen. And it's necessary and too often unsung, because who celebrates that worse didn't happen when disasters are so memorable?