On Oct. 10, President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire between Hamas and the Israel Defence Forces, which was followed by an exchange of hostages and prisoners on both sides. However, the IDF has broken this ceasefire multiple times since it went into effect, killing nearly 100 people as a result.
Prior to this deal, Israelis protested Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s lack of regard for the Israeli hostages still in Gaza. Once all the remaining Israeli hostages were returned home, Israelis celebrated by praising the Trump administration and booing Netanyahu. Footage from NBC shows families of Israeli hostages thanking Trump over the phone.
The Trump administration has received little thanks from Palestinians and their supporters. Pro-Israel pundits posted on social media condemning those critical of Israel for not sufficiently celebrating Trump’s ceasefire deal. In truth, while over a thousand Palestinian prisoners were released, they were still given the short end of the stick by a wide margin. This is not a surprise for those who have been following the conflict.
At the end of the day, the United States will remain ardently pro-Israel, as it always has, regardless of the administration. There is no reason to believe Palestinians will ever have peace if Western powers continue to support Israel.
Part of Trump’s plan calls for the “de-radicalization” of Gaza, but not Israel, which has seen a sharp rise in far-right radical politics. This means the Kahanists who chant “death to Arabs” can continue to influence Israeli society without issue, leading to more violence against Palestinians and their sympathizers.
Even though Israel agreed to the ceasefire, they have also made it clear that it does not want the war to end. The hostages taken Oct. 7, 2023, were a convenient front the Israeli government used to justify bombing civilians in Gaza. Now that the hostages have been returned, the Trump administration wants the world to praise him while looking away from the ongoing atrocities. This ceasefire serves only as a way to stroke Trump’s own ego while benefiting Israel’s interests alone.
Israel’s military has accused Hamas of killing two of its soldiers near Rafah, which it used as an excuse to unleash another campaign of strikes in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has denied that these clashes took place. Furthermore, Israel has not abided by the aid agreement, only allowing 300 aid trucks to pass through Rafah. Gazans are still enduring starvation and homelessness as a result.
What good is this ceasefire if it can be broken anytime with no consequences? The problem mainly lies with U.S. proxy states, like Israel, being able to bend rules with little to no condemnation. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to immediate sanctions and condemnation, yet Israel is able to do the same with Western sympathy and financial support.
The word “fragile” has been used by the media to describe this ceasefire, when a better word for it would probably be “deceptive.” It is clear that this ceasefire was merely political theater to divert attention away from the ongoing deaths in Gaza.
