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T relief resulting from the halt in hostilities in Gaza is substantial. Within Israeli borders, the release of surviving detainees has resulted in widespread elation. Throughout Gaza and the West Bank, celebrations are taking place as as many as 2,000 Palestinian detainees start to be released – although anguish lingers due to ambiguity about which prisoners are returning and their eventual placements. In northern Gaza, people can now go back to sift through wreckage for the remains of an estimated 10,000 those who have disappeared.

Truce Development Despite Prior Uncertainty

Just three weeks ago, the chance of a ceasefire seemed unlikely. However it has come into force, and on Monday Donald Trump journeyed from Jerusalem, where he was cheered in the Knesset, to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. There, he attended a prestigious peace conference of over 20 world leaders, featuring Sir Keir Starmer. The diplomatic roadmap initiated there is due to be continued at a conference in the UK. The US president, working alongside international partners, successfully brokered this deal happen – regardless of, not because of, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Dreams of Independence Tempered by Previous Experiences

Aspirations that the deal marks the initial move toward Palestinian statehood are understandable – but, considering historical precedent, rather hopeful. It lacks a transparent trajectory to independence for Palestinians and endangers dividing, for the immediate period, Gaza from the West Bank. Then there is the total ruin this war has caused. The absence of any timeline for Palestinian self-governance in the presidential proposal undermines vainglorious mentions, in his Knesset speech, to the “epochal beginning” of a “golden age”.

The US president could not resist polarising and individualizing the deal in his speech.

In a period of respite – with the hostage release, ceasefire and restart of aid – he chose to recast it as a lesson in ethics in which he solely restored Israel’s prestige after purported disloyalty by previous American leaders Obama and Biden. This despite the Biden administration twelve months prior having attempted a comparable agreement: a truce connected with relief entry and ultimate negotiations.

Substantive Control Essential for Legitimate Peace

A plan that withholds one side genuine autonomy cannot yield legitimate peace. The halt in hostilities and relief shipments are to be embraced. But this is not currently policy development. Without systems ensuring Palestinian engagement and authority over their own institutions, any deal risks freezing subjugation under the language of peace.

Aid Necessities and Rebuilding Obstacles

Gaza’s people desperately need emergency support – and sustenance and pharmaceuticals must be the first priority. But restoration must not be delayed. Amid 60 million tonnes of debris, Palestinians need help restoring residences, educational facilities, healthcare facilities, mosques and other establishments shattered by Israel’s invasion. For Gaza’s interim government to succeed, monetary resources must flow quickly and protection voids be addressed.

Like much of Mr Trump’s peace plan, allusions to an international stabilisation force and a suggested “peace council” are alarmingly vague.

Worldwide Endorsement and Prospective Outcomes

Substantial global backing for the Gaza's governing body, allowing it to take over from Hamas, is likely the most encouraging prospect. The tremendous pain of the recent period means the ethical argument for a solution to the conflict is potentially more pressing than ever. But although the truce, the return of the hostages and vow by Hamas to “disarm” Gaza should be recognized as constructive moves, the president's record gives little reason to believe he will accomplish – or deem himself compelled to try. Immediate respite should not be interpreted as that the likelihood of a Palestinian state has been advanced.