The ceasefire in the Middle East was announced on January 15, 2025, after months of negotiation between both sides. The war between Israel and Hamas had been going on for more than 460 days. There are multiple phases of this ceasefire.
The first phase of the ceasefire will last 56 days; in these days, hostages on both sides will be released, and IDF forces will be forced out of occupied Palestine. Aid and Palestinians will be allowed to go through the borders and into Palestine, as Israel allows Northern Palestinians to go back to their homes in the “enclaved besieged North,” where aid agencies warn famine may take hold, according to Al Jazeera.
Lastly, the Israeli presence on the border between them and Egypt will be reduced and then completely withdrawn 50 days into the ceasefire.
Phase two will only commence if the conditions of phase one are met. In this phase, we will see both sides fully release hostages and a complete withdrawal of IDF troops, or the Israeli Defense Force, in occupied lands.
However, these conditions have not been voted on and are not at the odds of the far-right-wing members of the Israeli Prime Minister’s Cabinet. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, heavily relies on his members and uses the conflict in Gaza to push his agenda and support further.
The third phase remains unclear; however, if the conditions of phase two are met, the third phase will most likely see the transaction of corpses and remaining captives in return for a three-to-five-year reconstruction plan conducted under international supervision.
Everything beyond this is very unclear. It is unknown who will administer Gaza after the ceasefire; however, the United States administration has pushed for reform in the Palestinian Authority.
The ceasefire will lead to Palestinians being able to go back home after months of war. However, the occupied lands of Palestine, mainly the Gaza Strip, are destroyed due to 15 months of bombing. Furthermore, about 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents were forcibly displaced. This means that they were forced out of their homes and/or country.
For Israel, the end of the war would most likely result in reform. For starters, the increase in Israel’s population, 10 million at the end of 2024, is the result of birthright and new settlements being built.
The birthright in Israel states that children born overseas are citizens by descent if either parent is a citizen. Furthermore, any child that comes from Israeli descent or is adopted by Israeli parents has automatic citizenship.
Anas Amireh is the treasurer of a nonprofit organization here in South Florida, with the goal of supporting Palestine and the right of all indigenous Palestinians to live in their country. As a Palestinian living in the USA, Anas is very thankful for the ceasefire; however, he believes that Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal who should be charged and punished for his crimes.
It’s not just Anas; thousands of Israelis living in Israel believe Netanyahu is a war criminal and that the Israeli government is corrupt and needs reform. Michael Partem, vice chairman of the Jerusalem-based watchdog group, had an interview with the Times where he stated, “It’s certainly distressing to see corruption reach the levels that it has reached.”
