What can a cease-fire actually do?

More: Killers of the Flower Moon, Kansas, and the American Museum of Natural History.   Friday, October 20, 2023: Hi subscribers, This Friday we're talking about calls for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, and the newly released movie Killers of the Flower Moon. — Izzie Ramirez, [Future Perfect]( deputy editor   UP FIRST Cease-fire talks, briefly explained Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images It’s been almost two weeks since the war began. And every day, the death tolls rise: nearly [4,000 people in Gaza]( have been killed, and approximately [1,400 Israelis died]( at the hands of the militant political group Hamas. To Israel’s north, a handful of [Lebanese Hezbollah soldiers]( were killed, and [so were a dozen Palestinians]( in Israel’s West Bank. Death is everywhere. Israel hopes to [destroy Hamas,]( which is actively holding about [200 hostages](, but it’s currently doing so at the expense of more than 2 million civilian lives in Gaza. Due to an Israeli blockade, there is currently no access to food, water, fuel, or electricity. Several humanitarian organizations have called Israel’s push for evacuation of north Gaza “[alarming](,” since — even if Gaza residents had somewhere safe to evacuate to — the mass movement of so many people would likely compound an already [devastating humanitarian crisis](. The question is: How long can this go on? The lowdown: Some members of the international community, including politicians and activists, are calling for a cease-fire — or the temporary cessation of fighting. Sometimes a cease-fire can lead to peace talks, but the main goal now is getting aid into Gaza. Here’s what you need to know: - The United Nations called for "an immediate humanitarian cease-fire" to break the supply bottleneck at Egypt’s Rafah crossing on Thursday. Although the Biden administration announced $100 million in aid to Gaza earlier this week alongside Israel’s agreement to allow aid through Egypt, resources and supplies [still haven’t made it across the border](. - The Rafah crossing is the only way in or out of Gaza right now. [Historically, Egypt has not opened its borders to Gaza]( out of fears of getting further drawn into the conflict. The UN is in the process of facilitating aid transfer, but until there’s agreement, supplies will [remain stranded](. Thousands have gathered in the vicinity of the crossing, waiting for it to open. - Calls for a cease-fire have mounted since an explosion at a Gaza City hospital earlier this week. The cause, as well as the number of deaths, [remains disputed by several parties](. In the US, about 300 Jewish protestors were [arrested on Capitol Hill]( while advocating for a cease-fire. Additionally, several congressional staffers signed a [letter]( Thursday urging Congress to back a cease-fire, while progressive members of the House of Representatives [introduced a resolution in Congress](. The stakes: Calling for a cease-fire has rubbed many the wrong way. There are concerns that a cease-fire, especially without the return of the hostages, would be seen as a [victory by Hamas](. The debate lies in the terms of agreement: Is it a cease-fire for peace, or is it a temporary pause in fighting for humanitarian work? It’s unclear whether aid will get through, with or without a cease-fire. But one thing is certain: The longer it takes to figure out logistics, the more death we’ll see. Do you have any questions about what happens next in the war? Let us know [here](. And [here’s where you can keep track of all our developing coverage](.   CATCH UP The horrifying, nearly forgotten history behind Killers of the Flower Moon Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images Are you seeing Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon tonight? Personally, I will be watching it promptly after work today. But in case you’re not familiar with the true story behind the movie (and the book by David Grann), here’s a non-spoiler-y recap adapted from culture reporter Aja Romano: - The Osage were forcibly removed from their lands in the 1870s. The US displaced Indigenous peoples to undesirable land to benefit white settlers. The US unwittingly relocated the Osage to oil-rich parts of Oklahoma, leading the small nation to become exponentially wealthy. - In the 1920s, a string of murders left the Osage Nation baffled and terrified. Amid the oil boom, at least 24 Osage Nation members and several of their allies mysteriously died — and local and state investigations into the cause were fruitless. At the time the murders began, they were fighting for control of their own finances and assets. - After a high-profile death of a white wealthy oil man, the growing death toll finally garnered the attention of national media. The federal government (and the precursor to the FBI) intervened. - As with all true crime, the ethics of discussing Killers of the Flower Moon as a narrative are tricky. “Grann constructs his nonfiction account like a classic murder mystery, with a series of grim ‘twists’ that may or may not be genuinely shocking, depending on how cynical you are. Scorsese upends this narrative, with the ‘who’ behind the Osage murders being not nearly as compelling as the why and the how,” Aja writes. [Aja’s piece dives into the ugly history here.](   VERBATIM 🗣️ “Imagine being told your health insurer will only pay for 50 percent of your heart bypass surgery, and that it only covers $10,000 of all your health services each year. That would be considered unacceptable in this day and age. But that’s what would happen if I needed a crown — my insurance covers half, and it only pays out $1,500 total all year. My dentist screwed up on a filling last year. It didn’t take long before I hit my limit.” — Money reporter Emily Stewart on how [dental insurance isn’t a scam, but it also really isn’t insurance](. In case you missed our package on the mess that is open enrollment, [here’s where you can find all those stories](.   AROUND THE WEB - The American soldier who fled to North Korea charged with desertion. Army private Travis King became the first American in nearly five years to be detained in North Korea, when he crossed the DMZ to avoid disciplinary action and discharge. Now that he’s back on American soil, the soldier is facing desertion charges as well as possessing sexual images of a child. [NPR]( - Want $15,000? Move to Topeka, Kansas. The city’s new incentive program hopes to attract new neighbors who will buy or rent there. In order to get the incentive, you have to be employed by a local business that has partnered with the program. [NBC]( - How to check if your ancestor’s remains are with the American Museum of Natural History. The museum has more than 12,000 bones of mostly Indigenous peoples and enslaved groups. It’s in the process of [repatriating these remains](, but the process has been slower than what most advocates would like. You can check out a [volunteer’s curated spreadsheet here]( or [contact the museum directly for more info](.    [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   MORE READS FROM VOX [5 ways the House speaker drama could end]( [Airlines say they’ve found a route to climate-friendly flying]( [These strange underwater animals could save our lives. If we don’t destroy them first.]( [Why so much is going wrong at the same time]( [Today’s crossword](   ONE LAST THING Enjoying the Sentences newsletter? Forward it to a friend, they can [sign up for it right here](. As always, we want to know what you think. We recently changed the format of this newsletter. Any questions, comments, or ideas? Write us at newsletter@vox.com or just reply to this email.    [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( [unsubscribe](param=sentences). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.