New Delhi, Oct. 22 -- verified swaps, corridor schedules, and families who measure success by arrivals, not speeches

Gaza City - On day 671 of the Israel Palestine conflict, diplomats and commanders moved the war's center of gravity from battlefields to bargaining tables. Israel and Hamas announced agreement on the first phase of a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange, a structured pause designed to trade quiet for returns, and returns for momentum toward an end to fighting. The language in public was careful, shaped by months of failed attempts and the politics that sit behind every clause. The intent was less cautious. Families who have counted days by absence were told that buses and convoys could begin to move in synchronized loop...