The Gaza War is currently in a state of parallel ceasefires, and attempts at making a lasting peace end up with either side breaking the ceasefire agreement to allow for a long-term peace plan to be put into action.
As the present-day conflict started two years ago, drawing the attention of the international community to decide on the restoration of amicable ties and aid plans waiting to be effectively enforced without either side retroactively going back on diplomatic talks.
History reveals the deep-rooted animosities between the nations that date back to the origin of Israel. This division spans from Israel’s initial creation in Palestine, carving out the borders between the Israelis and Palestinians. “The UN General Assembly passes Resolution 181 calling for the partition of the Palestinian territories into two states, one Jewish and one Arab,” according to CFR Education. A Plan in 1948, which set the seeds for a conflict spanning decades.
The Six-Day War, spanning June 5th to June 10th, 1967, had Israeli forces attack neighboring Arab countries, concluding with Israeli control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, provided by World History Edu. “Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, and other territories, bringing them under military occupation.”
Following the Six-Day War the UN Security Council passed Resolution 242, which called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied during the Six-Day War. From the Six-Day War to the Yom Kippur War on October 3rd, 1973 had Israel fought Egypt and Syria over the Israeli-occupied Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights. CFR Education states that “The fighting ends after a UN-sponsored ceasefire (negotiated by the United States and the Soviet Union) takes hold. The UN Security Council passes Resolution 338, which calls for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 242.”
The First Intifada, or uprising on December 1st, 1987, was against Israeli control in the West Bank in Gaza due to a car accident of an Israeli driver killing four Palestinians that spiraled to six years of protest and riots, eventually leading to the creation of Hamas.
With the Camp David accords progressing to the Madrid Peace conference and major talks from the Oslo Accords in 1978, 1991, and 1993 respectively; from the Oslo Accords envisioned a framework for a peace between Israel and Palestine, as said by World History Edu “The Oslo Accords (1993) marked a significant though ultimately unsuccessful attempt to establish a framework for peace, including the creation of the Palestinian Authority and limited self-governance in certain areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.”
However, multiple peace talks will follow after leading to a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, the second Oslo accords causing hope to shimmer on each side, until the Camp David summit in July 2000, ultimately failing after 14 days of discussion in attempts to settle border disputes in the West Bank. Coming to September 28th, 2000, the second Intifada occurred after influential Israeli Politicians and Ariel Sharon, a controversial retired General for the Israeli army, made a visit to Temple Mount or Haram al-Sharif. From CFR Education, “The Palestinians view the visit as an effort to change the status quo at the holy site. The ensuing demonstrations turn violent, marking the beginning of a second intifada. It will last until 2005 and be markedly more violent than the first intifada.”
Into the 2000s and early 2010s, relations between Israel and Palestine continued to deteriorate as numerous conflicts between Hamas and Israel persisted. “In the years that followed, Hamas and Israel fought several major conflicts – including those in 2008-09, 2012 and 2014,” said the BBC. Until the Present day war between the two sides.
From the October 7th attacks in 2023, Hamas launched an attack on Israel stemming from the Gaza area which led Israel to have an incursion to fight back causing the Gaza war, the BBC has stated, “On 7 October 2023, Hamas fighters launched an assault from Gaza, killing about 1,200 people in Israel and taking 251 hostages, This triggered a massive Israeli military offensive, by land, sea and air.”
Multiple ceasefires have been brokered by diplomats from around the world, causing citizens on both sides to have hope for a lasting peace for hostage and prisoner exchanges have occurred, allowing for deeper peace talks until either side breaks the ceasefire by launching further attacks in the Gaza Strip.
The latest ceasefire negotiated by the United States under President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, has stood intact yet fragile, for further stages of the peace plan have shown to be contentious for both parties, deepening the fractious nature seen by previous agreements by parties with either party becoming the one to break it.
As negotiations continue between the US, Israel, and Palestine, the Associated Press has said, “U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the next stages of the fragile Gaza ceasefire, while Israel returned the remains of another 15 Palestinians.” This shows the commitment of the International community to finding a peaceful solution.
For Israelis and Palestinians alike, the ceasefire proves to be exciting news for the end of a majorly destructive war, causing a multitude of human suffering and prayers for a lasting peace, for an agreement that Israel and Hamas can come together to accept alongside decreased hostilities to approach a solution to stand.
