It is understandable that Palestinians in Gaza are rejoicing over the announcement of a ceasefire. After all they have been through this is understandable but it is important to understand that there hasn’t been an agreement that Israel hasn’t gone on to break.
Israel is the world’s collective war criminal. If Israel was a human being it would be serving a life sentence without parole for the most egregious war crimes since the Nazis. As it is it is the recipient of lavish praise, aid and slobbering attention from another war criminal, the land of Manifest Destiny, the United States.
We should bear in mind that ever since the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah was agreed on November 24 it has been observed in the breach by Israel.
Likewise the Disengagement Agreement with Syria signed on June 5 1973, a mere 51 years ago. When the Assad regime collapsed on 8 December 2024 Israel promptly invaded and bombed Syria’s military assets in flagrant contravention of international law. Israel claimed that the agreement was null and void because of the collapse of the Syrian government but of course treaties and agreements are between states not governments.
There is no doubt that but for Donald Trump there would be no ceasefire agreement. However it is reported that Trump has assured Netanyahu that he can go back to fighting in Gaza if he so chooses.
The agreement is in 3 phases:
Phase 1
Hamas releases 33 captives, including female civilians and soldiers, children and civilians over 50
On the first official day of the ceasefire, Hamas will free three captives, then another four on the seventh day. After that, it will make weekly releases
Israel to release 30 Palestinian hostages for each civilian Israeli captive and 50 for each female soldier
A halt to fighting and Israeli forces to move out of populated areas to the edges of the Gaza Strip
Displaced Palestinians begin returning to their home areas - this has been described as 'returning home', but they have almost no undestroyed homes, infrastructure, water, fields or hospitals to return to; more aid to enter Gaza
Phase 2
Declaration of a so-called "sustainable calm"
Hamas to free remaining male captives (soldiers and civilians) in exchange for a number still to be negotiated of
Palestinian prisoners and a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza StripWounded Palestinian civilians to be allowed to leave Gaza for treatment via the so-called 'Rafah corridor'
Phase 3
Bodies of deceased Israeli captives exchanged for bodies of deceased Palestinians, which Israel has kept in thousands
Implementation of a reconstruction plan in Gaza
Border crossings for movement in and out of Gaza to be reopened
However Israel has insisted that no written guarantees be given to rule out a resumption of its attacks once the first phase is complete and its civilian captives returned.
Although Hamas has received reassurances from Egypt, Qatar and the United States that negotiations will continue and that the second and third phases will be implemented. However we know that Israeli assurances are not worth the paper they haven’t been written on.
The Middle East International’s David Hearst is optimistic about the deal and claims that ‘after 15 months of brutality, Israel has failed on every front.’ That might be how Hearst sees it but it’s not how Israel sees it.
My advice is not to get the champagne out just now. There is many a slip between cup and lip. Israel is an international outlaw whose main goal is ethnic cleansing and expansion. Netanyahu is going to have to deal not only with Smotrich’s Religious Zionism and Ben Gvir’s Otzmah Yehudit but also many equally genocidal and neo-Nazi members of Likud too.
In my view it is highly likely that once Israel’s civilian hostages have been returned Israel will seek to return to its war of genocide
Oh I don't trust Trump but then ironically Republicans are often less war like than Democrats. In essence they are 2 cheeks of the same backside
Did Trump not approve the brutal annexation of the Golan Heights, sovereign Syrian territory. do not trust him .