In a world where headlines are often more sensational than substantive, it seems like a historic moment can’t go unnoticed. Recently, Hamas agreed to release all living hostages as part of a peace deal with Israel. In case anyone is wondering if it’s too good to be true, join the club of skeptics who won’t be holding their breath until those hostages are safely home. It’s like halfway completing a jigsaw puzzle and expecting the pieces to assemble themselves overnight. For now, the champagne should remain corked.

So what’s behind this sudden surge of goodwill? Some credit military force and intense diplomatic negotiations, with Israel and America turning up the heat on allies and adversaries to create political wiggle room. It sounds a bit like those old Saturday morning cartoons where the good guys throw everything they’ve got at the bad guys until they agree to play nice—for now. But a deal on paper isn’t the same as hostages walking down airport tarmacs into the arms of their loved ones. Until that happens, everyone is right to be skeptical about whether Hamas will actually stick to its promise.

The real question looms ominously, like a suspense thriller asking, “What’s next?” Prominent figures hint at a nightmare mountain to climb in the next stages of negotiation. Disarming Hamas is the elephant in the room that’s apparently found some mighty stubborn people to lean against. Previous ceasefire agreements collapsed like houses of cards, so some folks might be forgiven for feeling trapped in a never-ending loop of optimism and disappointment.

Operation Midnight Hammer—a U.S. attack on Iranian facilities back in June—has been pointed to as a critical move leading up to this “historic” moment. At least, that’s how President Trump sees it, crediting military action with the shaky stepping stone to peace. Whether or not keeping a country on the brink of nuclear capability from going fully nuclear could realistically foster a long-term peace is a topic to debate, starring the Islamic Republic of Iran as the plotting villain. Ironically, peace between Iran and Israel probably sounds like science fiction to many.

For now, the region has been wrestling with multiple fronts of conflict involving Hezbollah and the Houthis. President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu have been portrayed as the game controllers with hands on the military joystick. If this sounds like the plot of a movie where the underdogs swoop in to save the day and prove their mettle, it might be because life in the Middle East often feels more scripted than reality TV. While there is cautious optimism, many eyes are peeled to see if they’ll be flipping from phase one to phase two without losing the plot.