Ceasefire in Gaza at Last
While not finalized, a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel is seemingly here
While not finalized, a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel is seemingly here
After over a year of brutal fighting and thousands of deaths, the Israel-Hamas war may be coming to an end.1 Earlier this Wednesday, Qatari mediators announced that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement to end the war.2 While the end of the war isn’t finalized yet, a ceasefire could mean the millions of people living in Gaza will be able to get the aid they desperately need.
The Humanitarian Disaster in Gaza
Since the attack on October 7, 2023, which killed an estimated 1,2000 people, Israel has waged a brutal war against Hamas, which has killed an estimated 37,900 people, according to the Hamas-led Ministry of Health. However, a recent analysis conducted by the Lancet suggests that the death count is likely an undercount of nearly 40 percent, putting the death count as high as 64,300.3 A previous study by the Lancet suggested that the count could be as high as 186,000.4
Since the war’s beginning, access to aid has been incredibly limited, and an estimated 2 million people in Gaza are suffering from “acute food insecurity.” 5 As I noted previously, far-right Israeli organizations have gone out of their way to block critical aid to the Palestinians.
Earlier this week, The Associated Press reported that far-right Israeli groups, some of them receiving tax-deducted donations from the United States and Israeli governments, have worked to block aid from entering the Gaza Strip. According to the AP, one of these groups still received funds despite sanctions by Washington. While these groups are not directly involved with the Israeli government, that same AP report notes that they have had tacit support from the Israeli government. Israeli Minister for National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has argued for blocking aid to the Gaza Strip, refusing to condemn protesters who have blocked aid trucks.
Nor is it the first time that In May of this year, Human Rights Watch also noted that Israel violated the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) order requiring the Israeli government to “…enable the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance.” Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch, Omar Shakir, warned that: “Despite children dying from starvation and famine in Gaza, the Israeli authorities are still blocking aid critical for the survival of Gaza’s population in defiance of the World Court.” While this report also notes that Israel had opened the Erez crossing, they did so largely due to American pressure. Though said pressure has been far from without limitations.6
While aid access has been a critical component of saving lives, Israel has been reticent to allow aid into Gaza, with the Biden administration pressuring Israel to allow food and other supplies into Gaza.
What Does a Ceasefire Mean?
The prospect of a ceasefire means that these conditions, which have been ongoing since the war’s beginning, can be alleviated. Part of the announced deal includes the release of hostages in exchange for critical aid. The Financial Times reported:
“The first phase will involve a 42-day truce, during which 33 Israeli hostages — including children, all female prisoners, the sick and elderly — will be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and a dramatic increase in humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza.” 7
While it is unclear how much aid will be delivered or if the ceasefire will last past the first phase, the increase in food is a necessity. There are still issues to be hashed out, and Netanyahu, who has a warrant out for his arrest, has stated that there are some details to finalize, but one can only hope that this trust leads to a permanent cessation of the war and the realization of Palestinian rights.8 9
Originally published at https://progressiveamerican.substack.com.
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1 Conor Kelly, “UK Foreign Secretary Calls for Ceasefire,” The Progressive American (blog), July 16, 2024, https://theprogressiveamerican.com/2024/07/15/uk-foreign-minister-calls-for-ceasefire/.
2 James Shotter et al., “Gaza Ceasefire Announced but Israel Warns Details Still to Be Finalised,” Financial Times, January 15, 2025, sec. Israel-Hamas war, https://www.ft.com/content/e35b08ad-f4a8-4de9-b812-a2c51dab15db.
3 Stephanie Nolen, “Estimated Gaza Toll May Have Missed 25,000 Deaths, Study Says,” The New York Times, January 14, 2025, sec. Health, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/14/health/gaza-death-toll.html.
4 Rasha Khatib, Martin McKee, and Salim Yusuf, “Counting the Dead in Gaza: Difficult but Essential,” The Lancet 404, no. 10449 (July 20, 2024): 237–38, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01169-3.
5 Tom Bateman, “Gaza’s Entire Population Facing Acute Food Insecurity, Blinken Warns,” BBC, March 19, 2024, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68605401.
6Conor Kelly, “Pentagon Ends Gaza Aid Pier: The Threat of Starvation,” The Progressive American (blog), July 18, 2024, https://theprogressiveamerican.com/2024/07/17/pentagon-ends-gaza-aid-pier-the-threat-of-starvation/.
7James Shotter, et al, “Gaza Ceasefire Announced but Israel Warns Details Still to Be Finalised,” Financial Times, January 15, 2025, sec. Israel-Hamas war, https://www.ft.com/content/e35b08ad-f4a8-4de9-b812-a2c51dab15db.
8 Conor Kelly, “ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas Leader: A Step in the Right Direction,” Substack newsletter, The Progressive American (blog), November 25, 2024,