Gaza Ceasefire

Mason Kim • May 23, 2025

Over the course of 15 months of bloodshed, bombing and risks of famine, the deaths of nearly 46,000 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis have made the conflict in Gaza one of the bloodiest to hit the Middle East in years (AP News). For the dozens of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and the thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, an end to the conflict has been long overdue (BBC News). Fortunately, on Jan. 15, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal, which went into effect Jan. 19 (BBC). The deal comes after months of negotiations between both sides, overseen by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. Phase one of the deal included a complete ceasefire, the exchange of 33 hostages held by Hamas and 1,900 Palestinians held by Israel and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated areas. After an extended impasse in negotiations, Israel and Hamas entered negotiations for phase two of the deal, more than 50 days after the original deadline (Reuters). Finally, the deal would conclude with the reconstruction of Gaza and the return of the deceased hostages’ bodies (BBC News). While the long-term prospects of the deal remain in question, the weeks following the ceasefire’s start have proven it to be an undeniable relief for both sides.

One of the harshest impacts of the Gaza conflict has been hunger. For thousands of Palestinian families and children, malnutrition is a pervasive reality. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system, the hunger crises in Gaza have consistently neared, but never quite reached, the official classification of famine. The conflict itself has made obtaining critical information regarding malnutrition and deaths difficult, causing some scholars to advocate redefining “famine” (Reuters). The ceasefire has already helped to mitigate the threat, with the World Food Programme stepping up to deliver more than 10 million metric tons of food aid since Jan. 19 (UN News). For other relief organizations, however, distributing aid has not been as easy. Just days after the ceasefire, Israel’s ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) went into effect, undermining a crucial vehicle for aid. UNRWA claims to have delivered over two-thirds of all food assistance in Gaza since October 2023, a figure that Israel claims is exaggerated. Israel further believes that UNRWA has been infiltrated by members of Hamas, making a ban necessary to “depoliticize” the delivery of aid (NBC News). Furthermore, aid that does successfully reach Gaza is often unsuccessful in reaching those who need it. Restrictions on essential goods by Israel and middlemen reselling aid for inflated prices have made distribution difficult for other UN agencies such as UNICEF (PBS News). Thus, while aid is flowing at a faster rate, it is yet to be seen whether the ceasefire will be sufficient to remedy the hunger crises in Gaza. Concerning the disruptions to food distribution, junior Cameron Farjami explains that the deal is still a source of optimism.

“What we are seeing from Israel right now is not much different from their actions in the past [15 months],” Farjami said. “[Still], the ceasefire has opened the way for organizations to provide aid at a much larger scale in a much safer environment.”

A great contributor to the political will for a ceasefire was the pressure for the return of hostages taken by Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced plummeting approval ratings following the Oct. 7 attack, exacerbated by his repeated failures in negotiating the release of Israeli hostages (AP News). With the new deal, Netanyahu stands to gain a spike in public approval over the return of 33 women, children, older men and sick hostages. On Jan. 30, the first exchange was made, with Israel releasing 110 Palestinian prisoners, and Hamas returning eight hostages. On the other hand, hard-liner Israeli politicians like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have threatened to withdraw support for Netanyahu if the war does not resume (AP News). For some of those hostages, their return is not enough. To Keith Siegel, an American-Israeli and one of the eight released hostages, concern for the hostages left behind was second only to announcing his return to his family. Siegel asked upon return, “What can I do to help bring the other hostages home?” (AP News). In Gaza, the ceasefire has been a source of national celebration, with crowds flocking in the hundreds to welcome returning Palestinians home (BBC). Due to the fragile nature of the current ceasefire, the potential for extended peace rests on the safe exchange of the hostages, making it an utmost priority. Senior Roman Munro expressed concern for the durability of the ceasefire.

“The current ceasefire deal [lacks] the potential to last long-term,” Munro said. “The point of the ceasefire should be to create a safe environment for both sides to figure out what they want to do to sustain peace. However, Trump’s recent video plan showing A.I. footage of [his] ideal Gaza rebuilding [jeopardizes peace]. The implications [threaten] Palestinians living [in the Gaza Strip] as it portrays the space as a luxury spot for rich people to enjoy. For [Trump’s plan] to happen, it requires the [displacement] of Palestinians living there now, which was a key reason for [the conflict] occuring in the first place.”

The contents of the deal itself were proposed by former President Joe Biden in May 2024 and crossed the finish line only after months of negotiation. Part of these negotiations was Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, who played a significant role in finalizing the deal (NPR). From Trump’s comment that there would be “all hell to pay” if the hostages were not returned by the time he took office to the ceasefire starting the day before his inauguration, it is hard to attribute the deal to convenient timing alone (Washington Post). Some of Trump’s plans for Gaza, however, have drawn criticism from U.S. allies such as Egypt and Jordan for threatening the prospects of a permanent ceasefire. Trump has repeatedly suggested that displaced Palestinians be permanently resettled and for the U.S. to redevelop the Gaza Strip as a tourist destination (AP News). Regarding Trump’s proposals, junior Zainab Khaja criticized his rhetoric.

“The U.S. has been the one supplying Israel the weapons necessary to continue the conflict,” Khaja said. “Now [the U.S.] is saying it is too destroyed and that [Palestinians] cannot [return, which is partly] our fault that they cannot go home in the [first] place.”

To reach a long-term conclusion to the conflict in Gaza, it is important that international actors remain dedicated to fostering further diplomatic talks. As seen with the barriers to food distribution and concerns over hostage safety, tensions are far from being completely resolved. The only path toward sustainable peace is for nations to build a solution that can address both sides’ needs.

Negotiations failed to begin the second phase of the ceasefire, as the first phase expired on Mar. 1 (BBC). On Mar. 18, Israel launched a barrage of airstrikes across Gaza, marking an official end to the ceasefire which saw the exchange of 33 Israeli hostages for approximately 2000 Palestinian prisoners (NPR). Netanyahu justified the attacks as a failure on Hamas’ part to accept a U.S.-backed deal which would require the release of more Israeli hostages in an extension of the first phase. Hamas has advocated starting the second phase (BBC). On Mar. 26th, anti-Hamas protests broke out in Gaza City, the largest since the start of the war (NBC News). Polling data shows that support for Hamas among Gazans has dwindled to 35%, although this may be inaccurate (NBC News). Negotiations are currently underway.