From Ceasefire to Peace Agreement: An Opportunity?
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It’s been less than an hour since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. This gives hope for something more than a six-week agreement. A ceasefire should not be confused with a peace agreement. A ceasefire is when two parties agree to lay down their arms in a given time window. A peace agreement is a lasting agreement between two parties. A Peace Agreement is far more robust and detailed than a ceasefire.
An agreement with many questions
There are many big questions surrounding this ceasefire agreement. The hostages are part of the agreement. The exchange of hostages taken by Hamas in Israel for Palestinian prisoners. In Israel, there is great opposition to the agreement from the conservative Orthodox Jews. For them, Gaza is part of Israel and they want to annex the entire area.
“It seems that Hamas doesn’t have a full overview of the hostages they have. Who they are and who is still alive. There may be a risk that the number of people alive is lower than expected. What does Israel do then?
From ceasefire to peace agreement
My hope is that the ceasefire is a first step towards a peace agreement covering both Gaza and the West Bank. In order to reach a long-term agreement, both parties must respect the other. Israel must accept a Palestinian state and the Palestinians must recognize the state of Israel.
One problem on the road to a permanent peace agreement is Israeli settlements on occupied territories. These settlements are against international law. Israel must stop the annexation of Palestinian territories. The borders of the State of Israel from its founding in 1948 are valid. A solution must be found for all other areas that Israel has subsequently annexed.
“My hope is that the peace agreement that is now coming into force is the first step towards something bigger. But the most important thing in the short term is to get food and medicine to a people who have suffered for far too long.