Israel and Hamas declared on Thursday the official acceptance of a “ceasefire” deal, which includes the release of all hostages held by Hamas and the ongoing Israeli occupation of Gaza.
Hamas political leader Khalil al-Hayya stated, “An agreement has been reached to end the war and aggression against our people.”
However, this deal serves as another phase in the Israeli-imperialist strategy to dominate Gaza and suppress Palestinian national rights. It effectively transforms Gaza into a colonial protectorate managed by a council directed by the American president and ensures Israel’s long-term control over a significant part of Gaza.
Al-Hayya affirmed, “We received guarantees from the mediators and from the US administration, and everyone confirmed that the war has completely ended.” Ironically, those offering these “guarantees” were complicit in last month’s Israeli airstrike on Qatar that targeted Al-Hayya himself.
Saudi Arabia’s government welcomed the agreement, stating, “This important step will lead to urgent action to alleviate the humanitarian suffering … achieve a full Israeli withdrawal, restore security and stability, and initiate practical steps to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.”
In reality, the agreement will reinforce Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian land and entrench Israel’s power to choke Gaza’s food supply, further enabling ethnic cleansing plans.
Bourgeois nationalist regimes in the Middle East and neighboring regions—including Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates—have played an especially deplorable role by endorsing and agreeing to enforce the deal.
According to the agreement, Israeli forces will pull back to a “yellow line” delineating control over 58 percent of Gaza. Ultimately, Israeli troops would retreat to a buffer zone controlling all border crossings into Gaza, leaving the population vulnerable to continued starvation tactics.
The accord signals a revival of 19th-century-style colonial dominance in the Middle East. Under this plan, Gaza will be overseen by a “Board of Peace” “headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump,” which also includes “Former [UK] Prime Minister Tony Blair.”
The Washington Post rejoiced, describing the deal as “A Hamas surrender and a Trump triumph,” calling it “a total Hamas surrender” and “worth celebrating.”
The Wall Street Journal echoed this, claiming, “Hamas is giving up its best leverage but Israel isn’t. Even after the hostages are ransomed, Israeli soldiers will remain in more than half of Gaza, including by the Egyptian border.” It concluded with, “In accepting these terms, Hamas effectively acknowledges its defeat.”
The Wall Street Journal also reported that last month’s Israeli assault on Qatar helped “influence” Arab governments into accepting the agreement. The outlet urged Trump to continue his forceful Middle East policies to escalate the US conflict with Russia, suggesting, “If Mr. Trump now reverses his strategy on Russia, next year even the Nobel committee might find it impossible to deny him the peace prize.”
Upon the announcement of the “peace” agreement, the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) condemned it, stating, “The plan’s inclusion of an international ‘Board of Peace’ … ensures the exclusion of Palestinian voices from the decision-making of Palestinian futures.”
ICJP spokesperson Órlaith Roe commented, “This plan offers Israel yet another opportunity to pause, rearm, and then return to violence with renewed impunity.” He added that the deal is “Steeped in colonial rhetoric.”
The Associated Press noted that the United States plans to deploy an extra 200 troops to Israel to supervise enforcement of the agreement.
Over the two years of the Gaza genocide, at least 65,000 Palestinians have perished, and the vast majority of buildings in the territory have been destroyed. Gaza lies in ruins, its people starved. A recent study in The Lancet estimates that 55,000 children in Gaza suffer from acute malnutrition, with 16 percent showing wasting symptoms due to food deprivation.
Original article: wsws
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