Time long overdue for ceasefire deal in bid to end suffering of Gaza
- There is need to halt the killing of Palestinians, release Israeli hostages and hold talks that will lead to a truce and, hopefully, secure a lasting peace
For the first time in weeks, hopes are rising for a ceasefire in Gaza. An unrelenting Israeli military campaign has ravaged the Gaza Strip for five months in response to the October surprise attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The time is long overdue for a halt to the violence, the release of hostages, and talks that will lead to a truce and, hopefully, secure a lasting peace.
In the October 7 attack, Hamas fighters killed about 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and took 253 hostages – 130 of whom remain in Gaza, according to Israeli figures. In the five months since Israel’s military pushed into Gaza to root out Hamas, the Palestinian death toll has climbed to more than 30,500, according to the Gaza health ministry, swelled by the 100 people killed last week while approaching a food aid point in the torn region.
The strongest message to date from US officials came on Sunday via Vice-President Kamala Harris who demanded Hamas agree to a ceasefire deal. Recalling the food aid tragedy, Harris also urged Israel to do more to secure aid deliveries into Gaza, where innocent people were suffering a “humanitarian catastrophe”.
“People in Gaza are starving. The conditions are inhumane and our common humanity compels us to act,” she said. “The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses.”
Public opinion polls show Americans increasingly believe Israel has gone too far, and support for the approach by the administration of President Joe Biden has been declining. The United States, Israel’s closest ally, has vetoed three UN Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire, saying a resolution would interfere with negotiations to release the remaining hostages. US officials have pushed both sides to agree to an immediate six-week truce, and said Israel was on board with a framework deal.
Biden said he was hopeful of a deal despite the incident at the food aid point. Washington has been working with Egyptian and Qatari mediators for a reduction in civilian casualties and a ceasefire. A Hamas delegation arrived at the weekend in Cairo for talks. Negotiators hope a truce may begin by the time Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, begins next week.
While that timeline may prove elusive, a ceasefire must happen soon. Most of the Israeli and Palestinian dead have been civilians, and a majority of those killed in Gaza have been women and children. Such indiscriminate killing must be condemned. Large areas of Gaza have been turned to wasteland and most Palestinians there have been made homeless. As the war in Gaza heads towards a sixth month, all efforts must be made to end the suffering of so many.
