For the past two years, Israel has been at war with the Gaza Strip as part of an unresolved dispute between Israel and Palestine over the independence of the Gaza Strip from Israeli control. The war has killed an estimated 70,000 people and has been a top issue in global politics. And while peace has been achieved for now, the question remains if it will last.
Attempts For Peace
This is not the first ceasefire between the two parties. Earlier this year, Israel and Hamas agreed on a two-month peace deal, which involved eight rounds of hostage-and-prisoner exchanges between Israel and Hamas. However, the conflict resumed unexpectedly after Israel launched a surprise airstrike on Gaza before returning to the previous peace deal less than 24 hours later.
“I hope that [the ceasefire] can work out,” Sophomore Lia Fox said. “But I feel like Israel hasn’t been very reassuring with that.”
“I feel that there’s no quick solution [in this conflict],” exchange student Mohammand Chiyat said. Chiyat grew up in Morocco, a nation with complicated relations and history with Israel due to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Israeli Government Controversy
During the start of the conflict, the majority of Western countries supported Israel’s military offense. Within 24 hours after the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, at least 44 nations issued clear condemnations of Hamas’s attack and affirmed Israel’s right to self-defense.
However, this number in support has decreased due to Israel’s extreme military actions against Gaza, such as cutting off electricity and water, targeting health facilities and causing civilian deaths from constant bombing, all of which have drawn comparisons to genocide.
Israel has stated that these actions against the Palestinians are necessary for the country’s defense and security, stating that cutting off resources to Gaza will weaken, extremist military and political group Hamas (the political and military organization that still currently controls the Gaza Strip and is the perpetrator of the Oct. 7 attacks). But this has cost them support from allied countries. A recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Centre showed that 59% of Americans now hold an “unfavorable opinion of the Israeli government” and only 16% say that “Israel is taking the right approach to the conflict.” Additionally, Israel has lost support from allies. Several countries, including Spain, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands, have halted or suspended arms sales to Israel, with countries like Canada going as far as threatening to take action if Israel does not offer more support to the people in Gaza.
Doubtful Future
The future of both sides remains uncertain, while Hamas has been open to negotiations with Israel, Hamas has been difficult to work with, and while Israel has promised to assist the citizens who have been impacted in Gaza, they are still limiting aid into the area.
“The crimes being committed over there [by both sides] are not really normal, and they shouldn’t be normalized,” Chiyat said. “I would say that even though [the ceasefire has been put into effect], the genocide hasn’t really stopped…even [Israel isn’t allowing] humanitarian aid to get in after even the ceasefire. So how are the Palestinians going to rebuild?”
Following the ceasefire, the UN Relief Chief outlined a 60-day response plan to address immediate and critical humanitarian needs. A subsequent 2025 Flash Appeal requested $4 billion for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Gaza. While this offers hope for the people of Gaza to rebuild after destruction, there are still countless obstacles that stand in the way of permanent peace, stability and independence in their home.
