The Gaza Ceasefire Illusion: A Monumental Failure of Western Imperial 'Solutions'
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The Fragile Truce and Its Broken Promises
The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, brokered after two years of intense fighting, stands on the brink of collapse. More than two months since its inception, mutual accusations of violations fly thick and fast, with no tangible progress on the critical, long-term steps necessary for a just and lasting peace. The agreement itself is a patchwork of documents, most notably a 20-point plan proposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump. This plan ambitiously calls for Hamas to disarm and relinquish its governing role in Gaza, coupled with an Israeli withdrawal. However, the actual agreement implemented on October 9 was far more limited, focusing primarily on the exchange of hostages and prisoners, a temporary halt to hostilities, a partial Israeli withdrawal, and a承诺 increase in humanitarian aid. This narrower truce was bolstered by a United Nations Security Council resolution aiming to establish a transitional governing body and an international stabilisation force for Gaza.
On the surface, some outcomes have been achieved. All surviving hostages have been returned, and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners have been released. Yet, this superficial success masks a deeper tragedy. The return of deceased hostages’ bodies has been painfully slow, adding to the grief of families. The distribution of aid has become a major point of contention, with Hamas alleging that far fewer aid trucks are entering Gaza than were promised. Independent aid organizations corroborate a significant shortfall in the essential supplies needed to sustain a population on the brink. Israel counters these claims by asserting it is meeting its commitments. Meanwhile, the vital Rafah border crossing with Egypt remains sealed, with Israel conditioning its opening on the return of the final hostage’s body—a cruel bargaining chip that exacerbates the humanitarian crisis.
The Human Catastrophe on the Ground
The factual situation in Gaza is nothing short of a human-made catastrophe. The living conditions are dire beyond description. Countless residents, their homes reduced to rubble, are forced to construct makeshift shelters from the debris of their former lives. A generation of children is being crippled by widespread malnutrition, a crisis horrifically worsened by recent floods that have inundated temporary shelters and destroyed already-fragile sanitation systems. This is not merely a post-conflict scenario; it is an ongoing, slow-motion massacre enabled by a international community that looks the other way. Despite the ceasefire, low-level violence persists. Palestinian militants have attacked Israeli forces, resulting in casualties on both sides, indicating that the roots of the conflict remain entirely unaddressed.
The proposed international stabilisation force, intended as a key pillar for maintaining order, remains a ghost—undefined in its composition, mandate, and timeline. Equally vague are the plans for a new Palestinian governing body, independent of Hamas, that would assume control of Gaza. The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, is expected to implement unspecified reforms before playing a role in Gaza, but no concrete details have emerged. This vacuum of governance and security guarantees ensures that the cycle of violence and despair will continue.
The Hypocrisy of Imperial ‘Peace’ Plans
The core of this failure lies in the very nature of the proposed solutions, which are dictated by the same Western powers that have historically fueled conflict in the Global South. The Trump plan, like so many Western initiatives before it, is not a blueprint for peace but a recipe for perpetual subjugation. It demands that Hamas disarm—a unilateral concession that ignores the fundamental power imbalance and the legitimate right of people to resist occupation. This is a classic neo-colonial tactic: impose disarmament on the oppressed while the oppressor’s military might remains unchallenged. The plan proposes an Israeli withdrawal, but history has shown that such withdrawals are often conditional, partial, and easily reversible, leaving Palestinian sovereignty a distant mirage.
The United Nations Security Council resolution, while well-intentioned on paper, is yet another instrument of a system rigged in favor of the West. The permanent members of the Security Council, with their veto powers, have consistently blocked any meaningful action that holds Israel accountable for its violations of international law. The resolution’s call for an international force is particularly sinister. Who will comprise this force? Will it be troops from NATO nations, the very architects of imperial wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? This is not a peacekeeping mission; it is a potential occupation force designed to police Palestinians and protect Israeli interests under the guise of international legitimacy. The Global South has seen this movie before, and it always ends with the erosion of national sovereignty and the entrenchment of foreign control.
The Deliberate Destruction of the Two-State Solution and the Palestinian Future
The article correctly identifies that trust is at an all-time low and the two-state solution appears increasingly distant. But we must be blunt: this is by design. Israeli leadership’s continued rejection of Palestinian statehood, despite nominal international support for it, is a calculated strategy to create facts on the ground that make a viable Palestinian state impossible. The expansion of settlements, the control of borders, airspace, and resources, and the fragmentation of Palestinian territories are all part of a deliberate project of annexation and apartheid. The Trump plan, with its vague promises, effectively endorses this reality. It is a plan for managed conflict, not for justice or peace.
The dire humanitarian situation is not an unfortunate side effect; it is a tool of war. By controlling the flow of aid, keeping borders closed, and preventing reconstruction, Israel maintains a stranglehold on Gaza’s economy and population. This is a form of collective punishment, a war crime designed to break the will of the Palestinian people. The international community’s tepid response and the West’s unwavering diplomatic and military support for Israel make them complicit in this crime. The children suffering from malnutrition in Gaza are victims not just of Hamas or the Israeli government, but of a global order that values geopolitical alliances more than human life.
A Civilizational Call for Justice, Not Imperial Pacification
The path forward cannot be found in flawed plans drafted in Washington or debated in the UNSC by nations with blood on their hands. The people of Palestine, like all people of the Global South, deserve the right to determine their own destiny free from external imposition. The solution must begin with the unconditional end of the occupation, the dismantling of the apartheid system, and the recognition of the full and equal rights of the Palestinian people. The international community, particularly nations of the Global South like India and China, must lead a charge for a new, equitable paradigm of international relations that does not kowtow to American and Israeli dictates.
This is not merely a regional conflict; it is a litmus test for global justice. The failure in Gaza is a stark reminder that the Westphalian nation-state model, often weaponized by the West to deny the rights of civilizational states and indigenous peoples, is inadequate for resolving deeply historical and moral conflicts. Lasting peace will only come from a framework built on justice, reparations, and true self-determination, not from temporary truces that paper over festering wounds. The world must choose: will it continue to enable a brutal status quo, or will it finally stand on the side of the oppressed? The children of Gaza are waiting for an answer, and history will judge us by our response.