Trump-brokered Gaza ceasefire hangs by a thread

In the meantime there was further bombardment of Gaza with dozens more people killed. Netanyahu later said the differences had been worked out. What we do know about the deal is that over the course of 42 days that started on Sunday, there will be a ceasefire, a withdrawal of Israeli forces in a phased manner and the release of hostages held in Gaza.

Ever since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, Netanyahu has reacted with brutal force against the civilians of Gaza. More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed. Nearly 1200 Israelis were killed in the October attack.

Of the many thousands killed in Gaza are women and children. By the end of it, even those who were horrified by the Hamas attacks could not justify the disproportionate Israeli response, which was akin to genocide. The scale of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza is huge.

Watch video summary of Nidhi's op-ed

Abetment to a genocide

40 million tonnes of rubble have to be removed so that people can begin to return to their homes.

In some immediate relief, people will get access to desperately needed aid like food, water, medicines and clothes. If the deal holds, it is a major relief to the people of Gaza who have endured a pain and destruction that is indescribable.

It took arm twisting by Trump to get it done. It also exposes the Biden administration and its abetment to a genocidal regime. While Biden was politely asking Netanyahu to accept the deal, Israel continued with its bombardment of Gaza while Biden looked the other way.

Issue of accountability

Now the real challenges lie ahead. The problem is we just don’t know when and how this agreement could unravel. As many experts have pointed out, the wording is so vague and ambiguous, that it could fall like a pack of cards at any moment.

As long as hostages keep being released, Netanyahu may keep extending the deal and fend off pressure from the far right of his own government. There is also the uncertainty about how the Trump administration will move forward on this and whether Trump will remain interested and committed to extending this deal as far as possible. If Trump loses interest and shifts his focus, that may give Netanyahu an opening to back down as well.

In what amounted to a major moral repudiation of his position, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

There is also a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Today, Israel’s international reputation has taken a beating. Its conduct after Oct. 7 showed how ruthless and inhumane the Israeli state can be.