Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem congratulated Palestinians on Saturday over the Gaza ceasefire deal, saying in a speech that it proved the "persistence of resistance" against Israel.

The Israeli government approved Friday a ceasefire deal to end fighting in Gaza, paving the way for a six-week ceasefire and the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas on Sunday.

The deal promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and would allow hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes.

After 15 months of war, Israel and Hamas have announced a pause in hostilities. In the best case, in which the six-week ceasefire becomes open-ended, it will bring a host of new challenges.

To better understand what the cease-fire will mean for the Israelis, the Palestinians, and the Middle East, Foreign Affairs turned to Marc Lynch, a professor of political science at George Washington University and the director of its Middle East Studies program.