Washington, D.C. – The agreement between Israel and Hamas to stop fighting in Gaza and release dozens of prisoners underscores the power of diplomacy and creates a path to the end the violencesay advocates in the United States.

But they stress that the ceasefire is not enough, and many vow to continue putting pressure on US President Joe Biden’s administration seek a long-term ceasefire.

“This is an important break in the fighting. It is important that these families are reunited,” said Hassan El-Tayyab, legislative director for Middle East policy at the advocacy group Friends Committee on National Legislation.

“But it is not enough. We must continue to build momentum to achieve a lasting ceasefire, the return of all hostages, full access to aid and a peace solution for Israelis and Palestinians.”

The deal will see Hamas Release 50 women and children held in Gaza and Israel release 150 Palestinian women and children from its prisons. The exchange will be accompanied by a four-day pause in fighting and increased delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian territories.

The agreement, approved by the Israeli government late Tuesday, is due to come into force on Friday. It will be the first cessation of fighting since the outbreak of war.

Biden welcomes deal

Israel has pledged to continue its military operation after the break. However, El-Tayyab stressed that “more war” was not the answer and that there was no military solution to the crisis.

“The question is: will we go back to the situation of the last six weeks, with indiscriminate bombings, civilian deaths and hostage detention?” he told Al Jazeera.

“Or do we take a step forward towards further negotiations, an extended ceasefire to bring everyone home and finally resolve some of the underlying issues that are driving the spirals of violence, including: the systemic oppression the Palestinians?”

president Biden welcomed the deal and thanked Qatar and Egypt for their support in mediation. He also applauded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opinion On Wednesday.

“I appreciate the commitment made by Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government by supporting an extended pause to ensure that this agreement can be fully implemented and to ensure the delivery of additional humanitarian assistance to address the suffering of innocent Palestinian families in Gaza to alleviate,” Biden said. He did not comment on the future of the conflict.

The Biden administration is calling for “humanitarian pauses” in the war and firmly rejects calls for a ceasefire, at least until Israel achieves its stated goal of eliminating Hamas.

A ceasefire or pause is a temporary cessation of fighting for an agreed period of time – in this case four days. A ceasefire is an indefinite cessation of hostilities, often accompanied by a negotiated agreement between the warring parties.

Nancy Okail, president of the Center for International Policy, a U.S.-based think tank, called the ceasefire a “step in the right direction.”

She said you could get used to the break help to the Palestinians in Gaza, urging a permanent ceasefire and ensuring the safety of humanitarian workers, medics and journalists.

“This would be important not only for the immediate goal of helping to release the hostages, but also to save lives and stop the bloodshed,” Okail told Al Jazeera.

“Let the truth come to light”

More than 14,500 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its offensive in response to the October 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis.

Hamas also captured more than 200 people from Israel. Thousands of Palestinians are in Israeli prisons, including hundreds of children, many of whom are held in so-called prisons Administrative detention without formal fees.

The level of violence in Gaza has led many scientists and United Nations experts to warn of the risk of genocide.

The Israeli army has forcibly displaced most of the population in the north of the territory – more than a million residents – which is a cause for concern ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, especially if they are not allowed to return to their homes.

Okail said the end to the violence should extend to the West Bank, where more than 200 Palestinians live was killed by Israeli forces and settlers since October 7th.

Should fighting resume, Okail also stated that she would like to see the US take a firm stance against all war crimes, including the use of collective punishment, the taking of civilians hostage and the indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas.

“The Biden administration should also draw a clear red line on the use of U.S. weapons and make clear that there will be consequences if these weapons are not used in accordance with international law,” Okail added.

The White House and the Pentagon have repeatedly stated that they would not draw “red lines” to limit the Israeli operation in Gaza and the use of American weapons.

Israel receives $3.8 billion in US aid annually. Biden is seeking more than $14 billion additional assistance for Israel this year.

However, leading human rights groups such as Amnesty International have accused Israel of imposing apartheid on Palestinians. But appeals to Biden to curb Israeli abuses appear to be going unheard.

Politico reported Late Tuesday, the Biden administration said it was concerned that the pause would “allow journalists broader access to the Gaza Strip and the opportunity to further illuminate the devastation there and turn public opinion against Israel.”

Against this background, El-Tayyab called for independent observers to assess the carnage in the Gaza Strip.

“We must allow the truth to come out. If the truth leads to the public saying: This is a war we don’t want to be involved in, then we have to let things fall where they may,” he told Al Jazeera.

“No backbone at all”

Human rights activists also expressed fears that renewed bombings after the ceasefire could target southern Gaza, which has become a conflict More densely populated since the start of the war, as families flee bombings and other attacks.

However, Biden’s support for Israel is not expected to weaken after the break.

​​Juan Cole, a history professor at the University of Michigan, said Biden’s green light for war was one of the main reasons the Israeli campaign “took so long.”

“My understanding of the Netanyahu government is that they are incorrigible and that nothing would stand in their way if they wanted to continue the destruction,” Cole told Al Jazeera.

“And then President Biden has shown that he has no spine when it comes to standing up to Netanyahu.”

Cole pointed out that Netanyahu was pressured by prisoners’ families to accept the deal, despite opposition from his far-right political allies. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir described the agreement as “immoral”.

Despite efforts in some right-wing circles to continue the relentless bombing campaign, Israel does not appear to be close to destroying Hamas. The Palestinian group continues to fight Israeli troops in northern Gaza, killing dozens of soldiers since the ground invasion began.

Hamas’ top political and military leadership also remains intact.

It is not clear how or whether Israel can eliminate them Hamas militarily and what would happen after the group if it were destroyed. Hamas has controlled Gaza since 2007.

That’s why many progressive activists in the US are pushing for a political solution to end the violence – a solution that goes beyond the current agreement.

Usamah Andrabi, communications director at Justice Democrats, a progressive group, called on the U.S. to end its unconditional support for the Israeli government, which “continues to openly tell us its plans for destruction.” and suppress the Palestinian people.”

Andrabi said the pause was a temporary but necessary relief from the “incessant bombardment and destruction by the Israeli government” that would allow the release of prisoners.

“But we must not relax our calls for a permanent ceasefire,” Andrabi told Al Jazeera.

Sandra Tamari, executive director of the Adalah Justice Project, an advocacy group, echoed Andrabi’s comments. She said the halt was merely a “pause in the genocide.”

“How can we be satisfied with a pause in this kind of violence? We must continue to urge the US government to call for a full ceasefire,” Tamari told Al Jazeera.