Gaza ceasefire hits six months as focus shifts to new war and humanitarian collapse
Friday marks six months since Gaza’s ceasefire deal took effect, a milestone largely lost in the confusion over the new and even more fragile ceasefire in the Iran war. The ravaged Palestinian territory of 2 million people has seen the most intense fighting stop between Israeli forces and Hamas-led militants. But most of the ceasefire work remains to be done, from disarming Hamas and ending its two-decade rule to deploying an international stabilisation force and beginning vast reconstruction. Gaza residents are in limbo, with limited aid entering through a single, Israeli-controlled border post.
Such challenges could represent what’s to come in the latest war, as US President Donald Trump’s approach to peacemaking appears to be stopping bombardment and leaving the bigger picture for others to work out.
Whether Trump can force through that kind of deal on Iran, with more actors in play and global markets quivering at every statement, is yet to be seen.
The Board of Peace goes quiet
Focusing on a deal’s details is crucial. Already, the Iran war’s two-week ceasefire has created deadly confusion over Lebanon as Israel insists the deal doesn’t apply there and continues to attack the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, while Iran insists it does and threatens to upend the agreement.
Israel made a surprise announcement on Thursday, authorising direct negotiations with Lebanon, despite the lack of diplomatic ties. Not long ago, the US-created and Trump-led Board of Peace kicked off with $7 billion in pledges and sweeping intentions of resolving not only Gaza but also other conflicts that emerge around the world. Nine days after the board’s initial meeting, the US and Israel attacked Iran. The Board of Peace has not met again, and it’s still waiting for Hamas to respond to its proposal on disarming, a major concession and perhaps the hardest step. Hamas’ founding charter calls for armed resistance against Israel.
A US official said Hamas has not been given a definite deadline to respond to the proposal but added that “patience is not unlimited.” The official was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The lack of a deadline can weaken pressure to act. Meanwhile, diplomacy is busy putting out different flames. Board of Peace director Nickolay Mladenov told the UN Security Council last month that the world should not lose sight of Gaza as a new war flared. The choice in Gaza is between “a renewed war, or a new beginning; the status quo, or a better future,” he added. “There is no third option.”
Vast tent camps house most of the territory’s population. Other residents shelter in damaged apartment buildings.
Health workers and other humanitarian workers say there has been little progress in the expected surge of medical supplies and other aid.
