Hamas wants to send the world the message that it is still in charge in the Gaza Strip. Its method: turning the release of hostages into a spectacle that Israel is powerless to stop. The pattern began about two weeks ago,

The cease-fire has held despite a dispute earlier this week over the sequence in which the hostages were released.

Hamas released eight hostages, including three Israelis and five Thais, as part of a hostage-for-prisoner exchange.