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T relief brought by the ceasefire in Gaza is profound. In Israel, the freeing of the living hostages has sparked extensive joy. Throughout Gaza and the West Bank, jubilations are taking place as as many as 2,000 Palestinian detainees begin their release – even as concern lingers due to ambiguity about the identities of those released and their eventual placements. In northern Gaza, civilians can at last reenter search the debris for the remains of an estimated 10,000 unaccounted-for individuals.

Peace Breakthrough Despite Earlier Odds

Only three weeks ago, the likelihood of a ceasefire appeared remote. However it has come into force, 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 high-powered peace conference of over 20 world leaders, among them Sir Keir Starmer. The peace initiative launched at that summit is set to advance at a assembly in the UK. The US president, working alongside international partners, did make this deal take place – regardless of, not owing to, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Palestinian Statehood Hopes Tempered by Historical Realities

Hopes that the deal represents the initial move toward Palestinian statehood are understandable – but, in light of historical precedent, somewhat optimistic. It offers no clear path to independence for Palestinians and risks dividing, for the immediate period, Gaza from the West Bank. Furthermore the total ruin this war has produced. The absence of any schedule for Palestinian self-determination in the presidential proposal undermines boastful references, in his Knesset speech, to the “historic dawn” of a “era of prosperity”.

The US president was unable to refrain from dividing and individualizing the deal in his speech.

In a time of ease – with the hostage release, truce and resumption of aid – he opted to reframe it as a morality play in which he exclusively restored Israel’s honor after alleged disloyalty by former US presidents Obama and Biden. This despite the Biden administration previously having undertaken a analogous arrangement: a cessation of hostilities tied to humanitarian access and future political talks.

Substantive Control Vital for Authentic Resolution

A plan that denies one side meaningful agency is incapable of delivering sustainable agreement. The truce and aid trucks are to be applauded. But this is not yet policy development. Without systems guaranteeing Palestinian engagement and control over their own institutions, any deal threatens perpetuating domination under the discourse of peace.

Aid Necessities and Recovery Hurdles

Gaza’s people urgently require humanitarian aid – and food and medicines must be the first priority. But reconstruction cannot wait. Amid 60 million tonnes of wreckage, Palestinians need assistance restoring dwellings, schools, medical centers, mosques and other organizations shattered by Israel’s military operation. For Gaza’s interim government to succeed, monetary resources must flow quickly and safety deficiencies be filled.

Like much of the president's resolution initiative, mentions to an multinational security contingent and a suggested “board of peace” are worryingly ambiguous.

Worldwide Endorsement and Future Prospects

Strong worldwide endorsement for the Palestinian leadership, enabling it to take over from Hamas, is probably the most promising possibility. The enormous suffering of the recent period means the moral case for a resolution to the conflict is possibly more critical than ever. But while the ceasefire, the repatriation of the captives and pledge by Hamas to “disarm” Gaza should be recognized as favorable developments, the president's history provides scant basis to trust he will accomplish – or deem himself compelled to try. Temporary ease does not imply that the prospect of a Palestinian state has been advanced.