A Welcome Ceasefire
Terry H. Schwadron
Jan. 15, 2025
Despite the many questions that remain unanswered, announcement of a tiered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is a moment of joy that can be savored with the release of hostages beginning this weekend.
For just a passing second, a universal sigh of relief was filled with promise, hat sustained hard work towards finding that a seam of peace is possible, even amid layered complications.
The realities demand recognizing that issues of Israeli security and any kind of future for Gaza are still to be solved, that the strife in the West Bank and with militias in Lebanon, Syria, Yemeni Houthis and Iran are not part of this agreement, and that we don’t even know how many hostages have survived.
Memories of Oct. 7 will not just go away, the horrific effects of reprisals in a flattened Gaza will take years to address, the ripples of dangers across the world will not easily stop. The deal itself seems little different than terms that have been discussed for months, and the realization of terms will require more detailed work.
We can expect the usual after-announcement tug-of-war over credit, since for once an outgoing Joe Biden and incoming Donald Trump were on the same page with Palestinian, Arab and Israeli officials whose signoff was necessary.
But that’s tomorrow. Let’s just take a deep breath for cooperation.
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