JERUSALEM -- In an unexpected break from their dynamic of constant bickering and ceaseless warfare, Israel and Hamas decided this Wednesday to declare a timeout, as though they were rowdy children called into the principles office for fighting. Perhaps recognizing the futility of their longstanding conflict, the two swore to swap hostages instead, billing it as "Hostage Swap: The Geopolitical Edition". After a whopping six weeks of nearly unending conflict, the Cabinet in Israel signed off on a deal with the perennially militant Hamas. They agreed, much to the surprise of all, to halt what many were calling the most devastating war series finale. The cliffhanger? A prisoner exchange. The Israeli government released a vague statement, adorably pretending as if everything were under control. "Hamas is to release approximately 50 of the roughly 240 hostages in the Gaza Strip. The release will happen over a four-day period," it read. They didn't provide details about exactly which prisoners would be set free or why only a portion of them were included in the deal, as if giving away hostage-related spoilers would ruin the surprise for the rest of us. In return, Israel promised to extend the ‘playing nice with each other’ period. No exact timelines were given, keeping the suspense alive. They did clarify however, that they would be freeing an undisclosed number of Palestinians from Israeli prisons. The vague detail further livened the entire plot as no one knew whether the Palestinian prisoners were all playing checkers together, patiently awaiting the grand prisoner swap reveal. Unconfirmed reports suggested that Israeli Prime Minister, possibly smirking behind his hand, told his Cabinet, "Let's see who blinks first. This hostage swap is going to be lit." Hamas, for their part, remained silent, possibly too busy refreshing their Twitter notifications to respond. The deal came shortly after both sides completed their requisite rounds of bombing and posturing for the international audience. Undeniably, the change in tact came as a shock to those who expected the vitriolic duet to be longer lived, like a Middle Eastern version of Capulet-Montague feud, only with more explosives and fewer love sonnets. Meanwhile, political pundits and late-night show hosts worldwide rejoiced, assured of fresh fodder for their satirical cannon. Only time will tell, however, if this unexpected turn of events sees a permanent retreat or merely a brief intermission in the unending soap opera that is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Stay tuned.