Israel’s Security Cabinet agreed to a cease-fire with Hamas late on May 20. The decision came just hours after US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone for the fourth time since the Gaza escalation started. The news stations, broadcasting continuously since the beginning of Operation Guardian of the Walls, reported that Biden was heavily pressuring Netanyahu to stop the fighting.
Unlike in earlier rounds of fighting against Hamas, this time, there was almost universal agreement among Israeli commentators, military experts, the public and politicians that Israel's policy toward its enemy must evolve.