What does Israel's rescue of 4 captives, and the killing of 274 Palestinians, mean for truce talks?
Israel’s dramatic rescue of four hostages from inside the Gaza Strip, in an operation that health officials say killed 274 Palestinians, comes at a sensitive time in the 8-month-old war. Israel and Hamas are weighing an American-backed proposal for a cease-fire and the release of the remaining captives. Both sides face renewed pressure to make a deal: For Israel, the complex rescue is unlikely to be replicated on a scale needed to bring back scores of remaining hostages. Hamas now has four fewer bargaining chips. But they could also dig in, as they repeatedly have over months of indirect negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.