Gaza ceasefire agreement: Turn the deal into a permanent peace

Editorial

15:34 JST, January 17, 2025

The fighting that has killed people and destroyed the lives of many others for more than 15 months is finally coming to a halt. This time for sure, the move must lead to a permanent peace, not another return to war.

Israel and the Islamist group Hamas have reached a deal for a ceasefire over the Palestinian territory of Gaza.

During the six-week first phase, Hamas will release 33 of the about 100 hostages remaining from among those abducted in its cross-border attacks in October 2023. Israel will also release Palestinians it has jailed. They will discuss in parallel the release of the remaining hostages and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops, among other issues.

Israel and Hamas agreed in November 2023 to release hostages and halt the fighting, but fighting resumed seven days later. This time, it is important for both sides to steadily implement the agreement.

There is no doubt that the change of administrations in the United States has affected the realization of the ceasefire.

U.S. President Joe Biden rushed to reach an agreement during his term of office and was able to arrange to bring it into effect on Jan. 19, the day before he leaves office. Meanwhile, his successor, President-elect Donald Trump, has been putting pressure on Hamas to release the hostages by the time he takes office on Jan. 20.

Although strong U.S. efforts have led to a ceasefire, the distrust and hatred between Israel and Hamas are deep-rooted. Concerns remain that sporadic gunfire or other incidents could trigger a collapse of the ceasefire.

Meanwhile, Israel has also attacked Lebanon, Syria and Iran in parallel with its invasion of Gaza, weakening militant groups that have shown solidarity with Hamas. The administration of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which was hostile to Israel, has collapsed, and Iran lost influence.

The dynamics in the Middle East undoubtedly have shifted in Israel’s favor.

Trump conspicuously has taken a stance of being more pro-Israel than Biden. At the same time, he has shown a willingness to achieve results by serving as a mediator for peaceful coexistence between Israel and Arab countries.

First of all, Trump should strongly urge both Hamas and Israel to abide by the ceasefire in Gaza.

Since the fighting began, more than 46,000 people, including women and children, have died in Gaza. This is heart-wrenching.

The ceasefire agreement also includes bringing food, fuel and other goods into Gaza. The Israeli military has destroyed many homes, schools and hospitals in Gaza, making it extremely difficult to deliver aid supplies from outside the region. Water, food and medicine are scarce.

Relief must be brought to people in distress as soon as possible. To this end, it is of utmost importance to resume humanitarian assistance immediately and on a large scale, led by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 17, 2025)