Thank God, the guns have stopped roaring, and the skies are silent after months of bombing following a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel. The air now is a mix of relief, hope, and even disbelief as the bloodshed has finally ceased.
Even before the ceasefire deal officially commenced, people began heading back to their devastated homes in the Gaza Strip. as video footage showed, some on their feet and others on donkey carts. They are on the verge of resuming life once more!
However, the return to their homes is occurring amid looming uncertainty about whether the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel will bring lasting peace.
Many Palestinians still feel that the pain, the sorrow, and the struggle for their survival will follow them as they consider the ceasefire to be more than just a temporary halt to the fighting unless all who are involved in the negotiations ensure that the deal is fully implemented.
In Israel, several far-right ministers resigned in protest over the terms of the deal. The Israeli military, in the meantime, warned the people of Gaza that moving from the south to the north of the strip would be perilous.
Israel and Hamas agreed on January 15 last after months of negotiations by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to end the Gaza war. What is significant is that the accord for the truce came just ahead of Donald Trump taking over power.
According to the deal, during the first phase lasting six weeks, a total of 33 Israeli captives will be released in exchange for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees from Gaza.
Additionally, Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza neighbourhoods, Palestinians will be allowed to return to their homes, and trucks carrying humanitarian aid will be permitted into the territory each day.
The second phase is expected to see the release of remaining captives and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops as part of the restoration of peace. The third and final stage will involve the reconstruction of Gaza, which could take years.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech after the deal adds to their skepticism as he stated, “Israel retains the right to resume war in Gaza, and it has the US backing to do so should the second phase of the agreement collapses.”
Interestingly, when the ceasefire was finally announced, both Joe Biden as president and Donald Trump as president-elect stood up to take credit for the accord.
While Biden claimed during a press conference that the ceasefire was “developed and negotiated by my team and will be largely implemented by the incoming administration,” Trump, in a social media post, stated he was the “crucial force behind the deal.”
Though what comes next for Palestine and Israel, and the region is less clear, what we read from Trump’s statement suggests that he desires a sustainable ceasefire in place. Breaking the deal, as many analysts believe, will endanger Israel’s ties with the new US administration.
As agencies reveal, the war has killed more than 46,900 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. An estimated 12,000 are reported to be buried under rubble, humanitarian workers in Gaza stated. More than 100,000 are thought to have been injured.
Some 90 per cent of Gaza’s population has been displaced. The United Nations reports that the health system, road network, and other vital infrastructure have been severely damaged.
Along with the release of captives and prisoners and the delivery of aid and humanitarian assistance, what is equally important is the reconstruction of Gaza and its governance. World leaders must continue mediation and diplomacy to bring lasting stability to the region.
Ceasefires come and go. But the biggest concern is whether this will lead to lasting peace or if it is merely a temporary pause. The global community bears the responsibility to ensure that the ceasefire holds and that urgent, sustained humanitarian access into Gaza is permitted. A slight misstep could escalate the situation again!
As Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, rightly pointed out, “For Palestinians who have lost countless loved ones; in many cases had their entire families wiped out or seen their homes reduced to rubble, an end to the fighting does not begin to repair their shattered lives or heal their trauma.”
The release of Israeli captives and Palestinian detainees will bring relief to families in Israel and across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, but it likewise will not erase the ordeals they have faced in captivity.
Along with thousands, I, too, pray and wish for a peaceful future with a sustained, region-wide ceasefire, which will be essential for lasting peace, healing, and the flourishing of communities. After all, peace doesn’t come from the barrel of a gun!
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