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The respite resulting from the halt in hostilities in Gaza is immense. Within Israeli borders, the release of the living hostages has resulted in broad celebration. Throughout Gaza and the West Bank, jubilations are also underway as up to 2,000 Palestinian inmates start to be released – though distress remains due to ambiguity about which prisoners are returning and their eventual placements. In northern Gaza, people can at last reenter dig through rubble for the remnants of an estimated 10,000 those who have disappeared.

Truce Development Despite Prior Uncertainty

As recently as three weeks ago, the likelihood of a ceasefire appeared remote. But it has come into force, and on Monday Donald Trump departed Jerusalem, where he was hailed in the Knesset, to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. There, he participated in a prestigious peace conference of over 20 world leaders, featuring Sir Keir Starmer. The plan for peace begun there is scheduled to proceed at a conference in the UK. The US president, acting with international partners, did make this deal happen – regardless of, not due to, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Aspirations for Sovereignty Qualified by Past Precedents

Expectations that the deal signifies the first step toward Palestinian statehood are understandable – but, in light of previous instances, rather hopeful. It provides no definite route to independence for Palestinians and risks dividing, for the foreseeable future, Gaza from the West Bank. Furthermore the total ruin this war has caused. The lack of any timeframe for Palestinian self-governance in Mr Trump’s plan undermines self-aggrandizing allusions, in his Knesset speech, to the “monumental start” of a “age of abundance”.

Donald Trump was unable to refrain from sowing division and individualizing the deal in his speech.

In a time of respite – with the liberation of detainees, ceasefire and restart of aid – he opted to reframe it as a morality play in which he solely reinstated Israel’s dignity after alleged betrayal by previous American leaders Obama and Biden. This despite the Biden administration a year ago having tried a analogous arrangement: a truce linked to humanitarian access and eventual diplomatic discussions.

Genuine Autonomy Crucial for Sustainable Agreement

A initiative that withholds one side genuine autonomy cannot yield authentic resolution. The ceasefire and aid trucks are to be embraced. But this is still not diplomatic advancement. Without mechanisms guaranteeing Palestinian engagement and command over their own establishments, any deal threatens perpetuating domination under the language of peace.

Aid Necessities and Recovery Hurdles

Gaza’s people crucially depend on humanitarian aid – and sustenance and pharmaceuticals must be the primary focus. But reconstruction cannot wait. Among 60 million tonnes of rubble, Palestinians need help repairing residences, educational facilities, medical centers, places of worship and other organizations devastated by Israel’s incursion. For Gaza’s interim government to prosper, financial support must flow quickly and security gaps be remedied.

Comparable with a large portion of Mr Trump’s peace plan, mentions to an international stabilisation force and a suggested “board of peace” are alarmingly vague.

Worldwide Endorsement and Prospective Outcomes

Substantial worldwide endorsement for the Palestinian leadership, permitting it to take over from Hamas, is probably the most promising possibility. The immense hardship of the recent period means the ethical argument for a resolution to the conflict is potentially more pressing than ever. But while the halt in fighting, the return of the detainees and commitment by Hamas to “demilitarise” Gaza should be recognized as constructive moves, Mr Trump’s history offers minimal cause to have faith he will deliver – or feel bound to attempt. Immediate respite does not mean that the likelihood of a Palestinian state has been brought closer.