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When I heard about the ceasefire on January 19, I was relieved. I wanted to hold on to my relief for as long as I could, because I knew it would not last. I prepared to write my article to be published then, but I understood that the ceasefire is not the happy ending many have been waiting for. Like the peace talks in the past, this one proved to be ineffectual. Despite how it was advertised, the ceasefire did not mean the preservation of life, because for Palestinians, the conflict and the abhorrent human rights violations were a fact of life before the war started.
“The Palestinians are the only nation in the world that feels with certainty that today is better than what the days ahead will hold. Tomorrow always heralds a worse situation.”
– Mahmoud Darwish
I picked up my phone and, with urgency, sought the words of Palestinians. I knew the world trusted the term ‘ceasefire’ and celebrated it, but I could only trust the Palestinian testament. They have lived through negotiations that seemingly heralded peace, rarely were those negotiations unbroken. I found I was not alone in my pessimism – or, in this case, prediction. I do not want to paint the Palestinian struggle with a oneness that undermines its nuances. The accounts of Palestinians varied between joy, grief and anger. Yet within their joy I sensed fear; in their grief and anger, I found dread. There was an underlying tone which signified a preparedness for a worse tomorrow, as if they knew that this might be the best they will have in the foreseeable future.
The Palestinian tale unfolds in ways most would not understand. The historical nuances and atrocities were a fact of Palestinian life before the world ever paid attention to it. As much as I write, I cannot do justice to the Palestinian struggle or capture the pain caused by the international community’s apathy through Palestinian eyes. The world reacted as if they had witnessed an end of a century old conflict, but for Palestinians, it is a different story. I would urge those interested in the Palestinian narrative – which has been overlooked- to read Gaza-based writer Hassan Abo-Qamar’s letter to Donald Trump.
The ceasefire is merely a way to avert global pressure and support for the Palestinian cause. As soon as the ceasefire started, the eye on Palestine fell asleep. For Palestinians, there is no ceasefire; it is merely another dream unrealised, another promise broken. As of the February 18, there has been 266 ceasefire violations, according to Palestinian security sources. According to Middle East Eye, over 132 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire on January 19.
This is not surprising to many political analysts, it has been very clear that Benjamin Netanyahu did not want the war to end, and the ceasefire held never the intention of Palestinian or Israeli safety. It is simply a part of a bigger plan. The reaction to Trump’s plans to displace the 2 million people in Gaza would have been fiercer if it had been divulged during the war. The notion of displacement, and the death since January 19, after a sense of relief, does not seem as urgent after a war that is riddled with the attributes of genocide, breaking numerous international laws. It seems like the world is tired of talking about Palestine, and the ceasefire, as erroneous and fallacious as it is, was enough reason to shift the world’s focus.
Though the death toll seems like an improvement from over 46000 killed since October 7 until January 19; though Palestinian children can perhaps finally go back to school, the ceasefire is not a promise of normalcy. Everyday life will not be the same, not just because of the broken infrastructure and the seemingly impossible task to rebuild Gaza, but the ineffable pain upon enduring brutality. Israel’s crimes are not only taking lives, but stripping millions of people of their livelihood. The real atrocity is not only murdering a child but killing the childhoods of those who survived.
When the ceasefire was announced, then President Joe Biden readily gloated American involvement which was integral to the success of peace talks. “Palestinians can [return] to their neighbourhoods in all areas of Gaza,” he said. The cherry on top of the veil of peace behind which 1.9 million displaced Gazans are lost with no home. Even with no guns drawn or blood spilled, the hypocrisy of the ceasefire would still be evident. 90% of Gazans have been displaced during the war, returning is not an option for various reasons. Firstly, Israel’s promises to the international community have not been kept, and now that they have threatened forced displacement with flyers dropped as heavily as rocks on Palestinian hearts. Secondly- a response to Biden’s erroneous claims- there is virtually no place to which they can return. Almost 70% of structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. The remaining structures cannot sustain the lives of those whose homes were not damaged. 84% of health facilities have been affected, many of which are in effect useless, in addition to other infrastructure like roads, water, electricity that are not out of order for most Gazans.
“The wars will end and the leaders will shake hands, and that old woman will remain waiting for her martyred son, and that girl will wait for her beloved husband, and the children will wait for their heroic father. I do not know who sold the homeland but I know who paid the price.”
– Mahmoud Darwish
At the start of his letter, Abo-Qamar called out Trump for his hypocrisy by calling himself a ‘peacemaker’ yet justifying Israel’s atrocities if their demand is not met. In all of Trump’s rhetoric, however, Trump has not once mentioned Israel’s failure to fulfill its obligations. World leaders have claimed a united front for peace with multilateral efforts to seek a solution. Yet, Palestinians are left without a just representative or a word uttered on the negotiation tables. The world has chosen Hamas as the face of Palestine, condemned a nation for representative they did not choose and refuse to listen to anyone who truly calls Palestinian liberation.
“The world map will not change if all the people of Gaza cease to exist. No one will feel for you, and no one will ask about you. You have been left alone to face your inevitable fate.”
– Israeli leaflets dropped in Gaza
Politicians have the power to make lies sound truthful. There are some lies, however, that are too blatant to be concealed. King Hussien, the ruler of Jordan’s meeting with Trump was contradictory to the former’s staunch support for ‘justice’ towards Palestinians. The dissonance borne most likely stems from Jordan’s fear of marring their relationship with the US. The discussion seemed as if it was on land over which both claimed ownership. There was no mention of Palestinian interest. The conversation revolved around what was best for Jordan and the U.S. Within the sentiment of neglect, the words written on the Israeli flyers threatening the eradication of Gaza echoes and remain uncontested. With no supporters or heroes; with no Darwish or Salahaddin, Palestine has no voice heard in the international community and the safety of the Palestinian grows more uncertain every day.
Edited by Ruby Fry
Image: Israel Palestine separation wall by Ash Hayes, Unsplash, 2023 // Unsplash License
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