The lull in the fighting enters a third day.

Midway through a four-day lull in fighting that has so far involved two exchanges of hostages and prisoners, Israeli leaders faced a dilemma over whether to resume the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip once the ceasefire ends Tuesday morning.

Early Sunday morningIsrael said it had received thirteen Israeli hostages – eight children and five wives – and four Thai citizens detained in Gaza who in turn released 39 Palestinians from Israeli prisons. The exchange followed an hours-long delay that raised fears the fragile deal could collapse.

The exchange was the latest step in an agreement that allows a pause in fighting to be extended. Israel has said it is willing to grant another day’s break for every 10 hostages Hamas releases over the 50 stipulated in the deal. Hamas did not respond to the offer.

“The question is day 5,” said Alon Pinkas, an Israeli political commentator and former senior diplomat. “Is Israel Resuming the War?”

An extension that allows for more hostage releases could provide further relief Israelis who see the freedom of the hostages as the country’s biggest immediate priority. That sentiment could spread more widely among Israelis as each day of the ceasefire passes and more hostages are released.

“And Hamas knows this very well,” said Shira Efron, a senior researcher at the Israel Policy Forum, a New York-based political research group. “They’re going to play with Israel and say, ‘Oh, we found five more kids. If you give us another day, there are a few up north we can find. ”

But a longer pause could jeopardize the primary goal of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza: the destruction of Hamas, the armed group that led the Oct. 7 attack that killed an estimated 1,200 people in southern Israel and led to the kidnapping of approximately 240 hostages. according to Israeli authorities.

If the ceasefire lasts longer than four days, Hamas — which controlled all of Gaza until Israel invaded it last month — would have more time to regroup, allowing it to mount a fiercer defense when and if Israel increases its military campaign renews.

An extended ceasefire could also create more opportunities for other countries – especially the United States – to pressure Israel to scale back its military objectives. Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 attack killed more than 12,000 Gazans, according to health officials there, leading to growing concern among Israel’s allies about the conduct of its campaign.

President Biden said Friday in Nantucket, Massachusetts, that “there is a real possibility” that the pause could open the door to a longer ceasefire.

But even if the United States pushes Israel to end or moderate its military campaign, Israeli leaders may simply ignore the criticism and continue with the invasion.