Attempts at Peace in Gaza
War has not returned to Gaza—though not for lack of trying.
Since Israel and Hamas agreed to President Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan, fighting has largely stopped, with the exceptions of some flare-ups. Both the IDF and Hamas have claimed the other has violated the ceasefire, but each one has affirmed their support for the agreement.
Israel has released hundreds of prisoners, and Hamas released its 20 living hostages. A major sticking point has been the release of the deceased hostages’ bodies, which Hamas is still searching for in the rubble of Gaza.
While Hamas is meant to lay down its arms, according to the 20-Point Peace Plan Trump proposed, they have spent much of the ceasefire attempting to reassert their control over the Gaza Strip. Over a dozen people in rival factions have been publicly executed since the ceasefire began.
The IDF has also not committed to giving up control of the Gaza Strip, which is needed to form the technocratic government that will plan out the rebuilding of Gaza outlined in the ceasefire plan.
President Trump has threatened to obliterate Hamas if they break the ceasefire but in recent interviews has maintained his belief that the ceasefire will hold.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the two key Americans figures in the ceasefire deal, have remained in Israel. Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have also visited Israel in recent days. This is widely seen as an effort by the administration to keep Israel from restarting the war.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has faced domestic pressure from his far-right allies to continue the war, destroy Hamas, and annex the Gaza Strip into the rest of Israel. He’s also been criticized as a puppet of America due to the number of American officials that have recently been to Israel.
Israel still faces diplomatic fallout from the war. The Arab states in the region are united in negotiations to help rebuild Gaza, but Israel faces diplomatic isolation from both its neighbors and previous allies.
Since the war began, American support for Israel fell to just 45%, and most of Europe, North America, and South America no longer hold favorable views of the state. Nations like the United Kingdom, France, and Canada now recognize Palestine as a sovereign state.
Negotiations are still ongoing to turn the ceasefire into a lasting peace.
