After two years of war and massacres, the ceasefire in Gaza provided for in Trump’s plan came into effect, sparking scenes of joy and relief in Israel and Palestine. On Monday 13 October, the 20 Israeli hostages still alive were returned to their families. So were the remains… The bombing of Gaza has ceased and 2,000 Palestinian prisoners have been released. Donald Trump, who is visiting Egypt and Israel this week, boasted with his characteristic sobriety that he alone had brought peace to the Middle East: ‘It took three thousand years to get to this moment, can you imagine?’ he said.
Nevertheless, caution remains the order of the day. While the peace plan provides for the withdrawal of Israeli forces controlling more than half of Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas, the agreement hammered out by Trump remains vague on implementation. This is especially true given that Benjamin Netanyahu is in no way willing to see a Palestinian state come into being and that Hamas is not going to relinquish its grip on the enclave. Finally, there is a humanitarian emergency: three-quarters of Gaza is in ruins and 10% of the population is dead or wounded.
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