Tenuous Gaza ceasefire

A permanent cessation of hostilities to facilitate reconstruction, however, is an open question

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N HIS INAUGURAL address after being sworn in as the 47th president of the US, Donald Trump cast himself as a peacemaker and unifier stating that "one day before I assumed office, the hostages in the Middle East are coming back home to their families". This reference was to the ceasefire between the Israeli army and Hamas forces - mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and US negotiators - that kicked off in Gaza last Sunday with three Israeli female captives released by Hamas in exchange for 90 Palestinian women and minors from Israeli prisons.

The Gaza war was triggered by the incursion of Hamas forces into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages on October 7, 2023. This is the first pause in more than a year from the relentless Israeli bombardment and ground assault that has reduced Gaza to rubble and a dystopian wasteland. This is also the first since November 2023 when a week-long cessation of hostilities facilitated the swap of 105 Israeli captives, including foreign nationals, for 240 Palestinians.