The Ceasefire, Explained

Israel and Hamas recently announced a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal, a breakthrough after two years of genocide, and a good step towards ending the suffering in Gaza. For those in Palestine who care for Palestinian liberation, the ceasefire should be seen as a good step, not a destination.

In the agreement, the ceasefire involves Israel having a staged withdrawal from Gaza, the release of hostages, and Israel's freeing of hundreds of Palestinian hostages. Israel has stated that it is committed to the agreement, although this is questionable, as they have a history of over 1,000 violations. Hamas has been committed to handing over hostages, although maintaining that the occupation and blockade must end. But even in these modest gains, Israel still maintains control over borders, airspace, maritime waters, and supply chains.

For Gazans, this ceasefire is a light in a dark tunnel. The immediate promise of food, basic medicine, and a chance of reconstruction would sound like heaven to anyone facing bombing, displacement, and ethnic cleansing. But this relief cannot undo structural violence. Hundreds of thousands have still died or been displaced. The dynamics of power and infrastructure remain under Israeli authority. Any hope of reconstruction is still conditional on Israeli security clearances and bureaucratic controls. In the past, Israel has delayed approvals for permits, withheld materials, and overall condemned Gazans to worse conditions.

3. The Political Factor

In Washington, the ceasefire is being celebrated by the Trump administration as a diplomatic victory for durable peace. This masks three key facts: 1) The U.S. has supplied Israel with billions in funding that allowed the genocide to occur in the first place. 2) Trump's original peace deal from when he first came into office didn't last. 3) Internationally, the U.S. has shielded Israel with diplomatic cover and vetoes any accountability at the U.N. The ceasefire's success depends on international pressure, and that pressure is unlikely to be lasting, coming from the U.S.

In Israel, Netanyahu is facing backlash for what some see as capitulation during the "war." Many ministers are raising the threat from Gaza, and many are promising to block ratification of the peace deal. For many in the Israeli government, anything short of the extermination of the Palestinian people isn't enough.

4. The Precedent of Collapse

Ceasefires in Gaza have historically been short-lived. As previously stated, Israel has violated ceasefires over 1000 times. Many of these times, these violations were denied by Israel, falsely claiming that it was Palestinian resistance groups that had attacked forces. Israel, time and time again, has broken truces with airstrikes and with aid, prompting spirals back into war. The lack of any international mechanisms for accountability threatens the resilience of the deal.

The ceasefire is a fragile, but essential moment of reprieve in the bombardment of Gaza. It offers temporary relief from bloodshed and modest diplomatic gains. But it does not resolve the underlying problems: the occupation, the dispossession of Palestinian lands, apartheid, and the denial of Palestinian self-determination. Only through a permanent path towards liberation can decolonization occur.