Israel-Hamas Ceasefire has held
The Israel-Hamas ceasefire procured by the Biden administration has held in Gaza, for now at least.
On January 19 a ceasefire deal was signed in Gaza, the 6 week deal provides for the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. It also calls for the Israel Military to allow civilians back into Northern Gaza and to begin a withdrawal from the area.
Phase two is currently being negotiated, and hostages are continuing to slowly be released. There are currently 55 living hostages in Gaza, with the bodies of another 35 according to the BBC.
The ceasefire has already been stress tested, with both sides in the first few days claiming that the other had broken the agreement. But so far this hasn’t caused a complete collapse of the deal as many had feared.
Since the ceasefire has taken place Gaza has been flooded with international supplies, long delayed by both the Israeli army and widespread looting of supply vehicles. The current agreement has at least 600 trucks of supplies coming in every day, with some days exceeding this amount.
Citizens of Gaza face an uncertain future on all fronts. Hamas still has control of the strip, despite Israeli demands for the complete destruction of the group. With Hamas still in control the Israeli military may start up the conflict again in the hopes they may be able to eradicate them.
Many people are returning to find their homes gone. It is estimated that over 60% of all buildings in Gaza have been destroyed since the start of the war, and the rebuilding will take considerable amounts of money over the course of several years. Whether or not these rebuilding efforts will happen with Hamas still in control remains uncertain.
