Ceasefire While Gaza Freezes to Death: Israel’s End Goal
Since October 10, there have been 739 violations of the ceasefire, resulting in 419 more Palestinians killed and 1,039 injured. This harsh reality contrasts sharply with the “historic dawn of the new Middle East, for the first time in 3,000 years,” as claimed by Trump.
This narrative is as fictitious as the numerous ceasefires that have come before. The fundamental flaws in these agreements remain the same: the lack of a non-partisan monitoring mechanism to oversee compliance and sanction violations, and the absence of guarantees regarding the implementation of Palestine’s long-standing demand for a two-state solution.
Hamas’ approval of the agreement signed by Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House has once again led to a predictable outcome: a temporary partial withdrawal followed by reoccupation. The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), which were meant to retreat to an area representing 53% of the Gaza Strip, have instead established control over 58% of the territory.
As oppression returns, the world grows weary of years of violence and suffering. Meanwhile, America exploits this fatigue to shift the narrative by threatening Venezuela, while Israel similarly leaks information about potential attacks on Iran.
Amid this sabre-rattling, the commitment to self-determination and statehood for the Palestinian people is lost—exactly as intended by both Israel and the US.
“I don’t think the Americans are willing to push the Israelis to accept a Palestinian state at this moment—and I think that’s the crucial question here,” said H.A. Hellyer, a senior associate with the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a military think tank in London.
One expected consequence of neglecting the demand for a two-state solution is Hamas’s refusal to disarm. The reality on the ground supports their concerns. While Hamas has upheld its part of the agreement by returning all living hostages captured during attacks on southern Israel more than two years ago, along with the bodies of 27 people who died in Israeli attacks, Israel continues to arm rival factions in Gaza actively. Some analysts believe this is part of Israel’s strategy to ensure the territory remains chaotic.
“Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t want to end the war for his own political considerations,” stated former top Israeli commander Major General Yitzhak Brik during a panel on Israel’s Channel 12 recently. “Disarming Hamas will not happen because there is no one to enforce it.”
And this is precisely what Israel and the US have been aiming for—a continuation of the old cycle that has persisted for 77 long years: kill, occupy, destroy, pause, and pretend. This cycle repeats until the public grows tired of the issue, allowing Israel to act essentially without consequence. This situation encapsulates why the 20-point plan agreed upon by Israel and Hamas, brokered by Trump and supported by Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, and the UN Security Council, is now effectively on life support.
Meanwhile, the freezing and starving Palestinians, who have lost everything in this genocide, continue to pray for a miracle. They seek to survive. “Israel needs to let us live,” says Mohamed Hassouna, 44, who has moved all of his belongings into a torn, leaky tent amid the pulverized concrete of what was once his neighbourhood near Gaza City. “I just wish life for whoever is still alive.” Is that too much to ask for?
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