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T respite following the end of fighting in Gaza is substantial. In Israel, the freeing of surviving detainees has sparked widespread elation. In Gaza and the West Bank, festivities are also underway as as many as 2,000 Palestinian prisoners begin their release – although distress remains due to doubt about who is being freed and their destinations. In northern Gaza, civilians can at last reenter dig through rubble for the bodies of an estimated 10,000 unaccounted-for individuals.

Peace Breakthrough Against Earlier Odds

As recently as three weeks ago, the likelihood of a ceasefire looked improbable. However it has taken effect, and on Monday Donald Trump travelled from Jerusalem, where he was applauded in the Knesset, to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. There, he joined a prestigious peace summit of over 20 world leaders, among them Sir Keir Starmer. The peace initiative initiated there is due to be continued at a conference in the UK. The US president, acting with international partners, did make this deal happen – contrary to, not owing to, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Palestinian Statehood Hopes Tempered by Previous Experiences

Aspirations that the deal marks the first step toward Palestinian statehood are reasonable – but, given past occurrences, somewhat optimistic. It lacks a transparent trajectory to self-rule for Palestinians and risks dividing, for the foreseeable future, Gaza from the West Bank. Additionally the complete destruction this war has produced. The omission of any schedule for Palestinian self-determination in the presidential proposal contradicts self-aggrandizing allusions, in his Knesset speech, to the “epochal beginning” of a “age of abundance”.

The American leader could not resist dividing and individualizing the deal in his speech.

In a period of relief – with the hostage release, truce and resumption of aid – he opted to reframe it as a ethical drama in which he exclusively reclaimed Israel’s dignity after alleged treachery by previous American leaders Obama and Biden. Notwithstanding the Biden administration previously having tried a similar deal: a truce linked to humanitarian access and ultimate diplomatic discussions.

Genuine Autonomy Vital for Authentic Resolution

A initiative that refuses one side substantive control cannot yield authentic resolution. The halt in hostilities and aid trucks are to be welcomed. But this is not yet diplomatic advancement. Without mechanisms ensuring Palestinian involvement and command over their own institutions, any deal threatens freezing oppression under the language of peace.

Aid Necessities and Rebuilding Obstacles

Gaza’s people urgently require emergency support – and sustenance and pharmaceuticals must be the primary focus. But reconstruction must not be delayed. Amid 60 million tonnes of rubble, Palestinians need support restoring homes, learning institutions, healthcare facilities, places of worship and other organizations devastated by Israel’s invasion. For Gaza’s transitional administration to succeed, financial support must arrive promptly and safety deficiencies be remedied.

Comparable with a great deal of Mr Trump’s resolution initiative, allusions to an multinational security contingent and a suggested “diplomatic committee” are worryingly ambiguous.

International Support and Potential Developments

Substantial global backing for the Palestinian leadership, permitting it to replace Hamas, is likely the most hopeful prospect. The enormous suffering of the past two years means the moral case for a settlement to the conflict is possibly more critical than ever. But while the truce, the repatriation of the captives and pledge by Hamas to “remove weapons from” Gaza should be acknowledged as constructive moves, the president's history gives little reason to trust he will accomplish – or feel bound to try. Immediate respite does not mean that the prospect of a Palestinian state has been brought closer.