There were, of course, important external factors that laid the groundwork for the deal. Both Israel and Hamas had finally concluded that continuing the war was a losing proposition. For Hamas, Israel’s operations over the past year have been devastating. The group’s ability to maneuver and resupply itself is hobbled; its cash flow has been severed; and its top leaders have been eliminated. Outside Gaza, Hamas’ supporters in the Axis of Resistance have also been degraded by Israel’s strikes across Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran itself. Hamas found itself isolated in the region and increasingly unpopular in Gaza.