Israel continued bombing until the last moment – but now Palestinians are celebrating what is supposed to be an end to the slaughter
The ceasefire announced today in Israel’s genocide in Gaza is officially a ‘conflict pause’ until Sunday – as if the slaughter of Palestinians was ever a conflict and not asymmetric mass murder – and will then fall into three phases, assuming Israel does not break it as it has its previous ‘deals’:
Phase 1
- Hamas releases 33 captives, including female civilians and soldiers, children and civilians over 50
- On the first official day of the ceasefire, Hamas will free three captives, then another four on the seventh day. After that, it will make weekly releases
- Israel to release 30 Palestinian hostages for each civilian Israeli captive and 50 for each female soldier
- A halt to fighting and Israeli forces to move out of populated areas to the edges of the Gaza Strip
- Displaced Palestinians begin returning to their home areas – this has been described as ‘returning home’, but they have almost no undestroyed homes, infrastructure, water, fields or hospitals to return to; more aid to enter Gaza
Phase 2
- Declaration of a so-called “sustainable calm”
- Hamas to free remaining male captives (soldiers and civilians) in exchange for a number still to be negotiated of
Palestinian prisoners and a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip - Wounded Palestinian civilians to be allowed to leave Gaza for treatment via the so-called ‘Rafah corridor’
Phase 3
- Bodies of deceased Israeli captives exchanged for bodies of deceased Palestinians, which Israel has kept in thousands
- Implementation of a reconstruction plan in Gaza
- Border crossings for movement in and out of Gaza to be reopened
While any reasonable analysis must warn that Israel’s record of breaking or ignoring previous ceasefires and its contempt for international law pose a grave risk that it will break this one the moment it thinks it is advantageous to do so, Palestinians are celebrating even the prospect of peace:
North Gaza journalist Hossam Shbat was lifted on the shoulders of a joyful crowd as he reported on the ceasefire:
His colleague Anas Jamal stripped off his protective gear as he reported, though later he felt he needed to put it back on:
But far too many never lived to see the ceasefire – hundreds of thousands slaughtered during more than a year in which a deal could have been in place all along if the Biden US regime had not enabled Israel’s mass murder and crimes against humanity.
Even on the last night and day before the announcement, around seventy people were killed and hundreds injured as Israel escalated its bombing. Among those murdered in the final hours before the deal was journalist Ahmed Hisham – the nephew of Khaled ‘Grandpa’ Nabhan who was killed in an Israeli bombing a year after his granddaughter Reem – as Israel continued until the last moment the targeted murder of more than two hundred Palestinian journalists reporting on its crimes:
A video made by Nadia Taafe gives some inkling of the sheer scale of the slaughter and loss just among Gaza’s children:
Now the people of Gaza and a watching world must wait to see whether Israel will break its decades-long habit and actually honour the deal it has – to the fury of the most extreme of its extremist government – made to put its criminality on hold.
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I think this is yet another deal, which, on the face of it, would appear to give “victory” to Israel and the US, and it is dressed up as a ceasefire, when, in fact, it is nothing of the sort. The reason I am suspicious this is a “victory” for the US and Israel is that the other Arab countries, mainly the Saudis in Saudi Arabia are keen to reach normality with Israel, meaning Saudi Arabia, having attempted to have their feet in both camps, being the BRICS alliance, and, at the same time, supporting Israel, who are still saying they want to maintain normalisation with Israel, suggests to me, this is a defeat of the Palestinians, rather than a win for them, but, the fact that not all the Palestinians are gone, means that, as soon as it is convenient to do so, Israel and the US will return to their agenda of genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians. I could be wrong, but I am concerned that even some in the independent media are viewing this deal as being a little more likely to succeed than previous “ceasefires”. I am interested to hear what other people think this “ceasefire” amounts to, is it a “victory” for Israel and the US, is it a “victory” for the Palestinians, or is it a draw, with neither side winning.
I reserve judgment on this having so many times got to this point, then Netanyahue sabotages the deal under the US/Israel lie that it was Hamas who was the problem. My hear joez out yo those Palestinians who ard ecstatic, celebrating through the night.
BUT the ceasefire doesn’t start until Sunday so how many Pakestinidjs will be murdered before then?
I don’t trust the US or Israel. If they get through the first stage great.
I heard that Trump called Netanyahue to say once they started the ceasefire the US will support the continuation of the war if deemed necessary.
Palestinians will have their day, but I really dont think Trump will be their saviour.