For the few Israeli families who were reunited yesterday with their children, mothers or wives held hostage, and for those whose hopes are growing of benefiting from the same terms of trade with Hamas, the four-day truce that has just begun represents a victory. For Palestinians recovering their loved ones previously imprisoned in Israel – women and young people with "no blood on their hands" – it is also a deliverance. For the residents of the Gaza Strip, temporarily silenced after a deluge of fire and steel lasting almost 50 days, it is an unreal respite, a brief return to the open air amid the ruins, a chance to refuel or inspect what remains of their homes. Whatever side they are on, civilians are winners in this parenthesis of reason and humanity, just as they are the first victims of weapons and perpetual confrontation.
The same can hardly be said of those who lead the deadly game of politics and war...
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