The dramatic announcement of a deal between Israel and Hamas has raised hopes that a horrific two-year conflict could be at its end.

President Trump has been at the fore in lauding the deal, referring to it as a “momentous breakthrough” Thursday.

Trump has also underscored what he sees as global support for the agreement and has even held out the possibility of “everlasting” peace in the Middle East.

Such a goal is far from being accomplished, however — and there are big questions even about the current deal.

Here are five big takeaways.

Finally, relief on all sides

The obvious point is the most important: The deal offers the prospect of lifting a burden of suffering from a huge number of people.

The Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, killed almost 1,200 people, with approximately 250 more taken hostage.

In the two years since then, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli assault on Gaza. Palestinians in Gaza have also died from enforced malnutrition — a toll that the local health ministry said last month had reached at least 440 people, including 147 children.

The deal announced Wednesday is understood to include the release of all living Israeli hostages and the remains of those who died in captivity.

The total, living and dead, is believed to be 48, with about 20 still alive. On Thursday, Trump said he expected the hostages to be released Monday or Tuesday next week.

The agreement appears to include a cessation of hostilities and a commitment on Israel’s part to release many Palestinian prisoners, including some of........

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