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T reprieve brought by the end of fighting in Gaza is profound. In Israel, the release of surviving detainees has sparked extensive joy. In Gaza and the West Bank, jubilations have commenced as approximately 2,000 Palestinian inmates begin their release – though distress persists due to uncertainty about which prisoners are returning and where they will be sent. In northern Gaza, civilians can at last go back to dig through rubble for the remains of an estimated 10,000 unaccounted-for individuals.

Truce Development Contrary to Prior Uncertainty

Only three weeks ago, the probability of a ceasefire seemed unlikely. But it has been implemented, 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-level peace summit of in excess of 20 world leaders, among them Sir Keir Starmer. The plan for peace begun there is set to advance at a conference in the UK. The US president, working alongside international partners, did make this deal come to fruition – contrary to, not owing to, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Palestinian Statehood Hopes Moderated by Previous Experiences

Aspirations that the deal signifies the opening phase toward Palestinian statehood are understandable – but, in light of previous instances, somewhat optimistic. It provides no definite route to independence for Palestinians and threatens dividing, for the foreseeable future, Gaza from the West Bank. Then there is the total ruin this war has caused. The omission of any timeframe for Palestinian self-governance in the US initiative undermines self-aggrandizing mentions, in his Knesset speech, to the “monumental start” of a “age of abundance”.

The US president could not help himself dividing and making personal the deal in his speech.

In a moment of relief – with the freeing of captives, halt in fighting and renewal of aid – he opted to reframe it as a lesson in ethics in which he solely reinstated Israel’s prestige after alleged betrayal by former US presidents Obama and Biden. This even as the Biden administration previously having undertaken a similar deal: a cessation of hostilities linked to aid delivery and future political talks.

Meaningful Agency Crucial for Sustainable Agreement

A plan that withholds one side meaningful agency cannot produce legitimate peace. The halt in hostilities and relief shipments are to be embraced. But this is still not diplomatic advancement. Without systems guaranteeing Palestinian engagement and command over their own institutions, any deal risks perpetuating domination under the rhetoric of peace.

Relief Imperatives and Rebuilding Obstacles

Gaza’s people urgently require emergency support – and food and medicines must be the initial concern. But reconstruction should not be postponed. Among 60 million tonnes of rubble, Palestinians need assistance repairing residences, learning institutions, medical centers, places of worship and other institutions destroyed by Israel’s incursion. For Gaza’s provisional leadership to prosper, monetary resources must arrive promptly and security gaps be filled.

Like a great deal of Mr Trump’s resolution initiative, references to an global peacekeeping unit and a suggested “diplomatic committee” are disturbingly unclear.

Global Backing and Potential Developments

Strong global backing for the Palestinian leadership, permitting it to succeed Hamas, is likely the most hopeful possibility. The tremendous pain of the past two years means the moral case for a resolution to the conflict is possibly more urgent than ever. But while the truce, the return of the detainees and vow by Hamas to “remove weapons from” Gaza should be recognized as favorable developments, Mr Trump’s record gives little reason to believe he will accomplish – or feel bound to try. Short-term relief does not imply that the possibility of a Palestinian state has been advanced.