“The prayers of millions have finally been answered. At long last, we have peace in the Middle East.” So declared Donald Trump as ‘stage one’ of his peace plan was agreed by Israel and Hamas. Millions of people have opposed the genocide in Gaza and desperately want an end to the war. But the plan he has brokered will not offer the “strong, durable and everlasting peace” he has promised.
By Caroline Vincent
Of course, the news of a ceasefire has brought immense relief, not least in Gaza. The return of 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and the 20 surviving Israeli hostages has been cause for celebration. It is over two years since the genocidal war began, with over 100,000 Palestinians killed, including 20,000 children. But will this be more than just another pause? It is the sixth ceasefire to have been signed since 2008. The most recent one in March was a brief reprieve – it broke down after just two months, with the Israeli regime subsequently stepping up its offensive.
Upon signing the plan, Hamas issued a statement clarifying that this agreement should represent more than “just a ceasefire” but an “end to war”, adding that “we will never abandon our people’s rights until freedom, independence and self-determination are achieved.” Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed that Israel would “finish the job” in Gaza if Hamas did not agree to Trump’s deal.
The truce has not stopped the killing
The Israeli army has murdered more than 100 people since the ceasefire was delayed and the Israeli government immediately threatened to slash the promised aid into Gaza by half, accusing Hamas of delaying the release of the bodies of hostages and therefore breaking the agreement. After the Israeli parliament passed a bill pointing toward the annexation of the West Bank, Western capitalist governments scrambled to stop it being implemented.
The divisions that exist within Netanyahu’s coalition government add to the precarity, especially from the furthest right elements. Bezalel Smotrich made it clear he’s not for peace, saying “immediately after the hostages return home, the State of Israel will continue to strive with all its might for the true eradication of Hamas and the genuine disarmament of Gaza, so that it no longer poses a threat to Israel.” Just two weeks beforehand, he had been presenting Gaza as a “real estate bonanza” that could be shared with the US. Itamar Ben-Gvir also opposed the ceasefire, taking to X to describe allowing aid to enter Gaza as “a disgrace.”
Keir Starmer welcomed “a moment of profound relief” as the first stage of the peace plan was agreed. He has recently been part of a scramble from several Western leaders and longtime allies of Israel to belatedly condemn Israel’s action and to ‘recognise’ a Palestinian state. But in the context of a livestreamed genocide, with Israel’s position on the world stage forever damaged, this is widely (and correctly) viewed as a cynical attempt to wash the blood from his hands.
This is a key factor that will have motivated Trump’s deal – governments who have armed and defended Israel for two years are rightly being seen as complicit in the slaughter. The pivot to more criticism of Israel’s actions has not been born out of empathy for Palestinians, but rather from the pressure exerted by the working class, which has abandoned the Labour Party in droves, leaving Starmer desperate to hold on to any trace of support.
Starmer described the recognition of Palestine as “acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and a two-state solution.” But neither this, nor Trump’s plan can offer a path towards peace and Palestinian liberation. Additionally, the plan is lacking any details concerning accountability of the Israeli state should they renege, along with any mechanisms to guarantee Palestine the control of its own institutions.
The idea of a viable Palestinian state gifted by imperialist ‘peace deals’ has been completely undermined, given the scale of destruction and genocide over the last two years. 78% of buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, including 90% of schools, and not one university is left standing. Almost all cropland – 98.5% – has been damaged and is no longer productive. The World Health Organisation has warned that infectious diseases including meningitis are spiralling out of control, with only 13 of the territory’s 36 hospitals even partially functioning.
A deal that is brokered under the capitalist system – one which breeds imperialism and war – cannot offer lasting peace, because the root causes remain. We need to struggle to end the occupation and for true Palestinian liberation. Starmer has presided over a draconian crackdown on the right to protest, including the criminalisation of pro-Palestine demonstrations.
The International Federation for Human Rights recently highlighted how in the UK, US, France and Germany counter-terrorism legislation and antisemitism are being weaponised to suppress Gaza protests. While it was Suella Braverman who first characterised the demonstrations as “hate marches”, the narrative has not changed with a Labour government. Starmer recently described the popular chant “globalise the intifada” as antisemitic and a “call to attack Jewish communities around the world.” These repressive measures must be resisted – we have to keep building the international solidarity movement.
Workers’ action to stop wars
Protests are important, but by themselves they are not enough. We witnessed a turning point when the Global Sumud Flotilla, with 500 participants and launched by tens of thousands, gave us an inspiring example of the ongoing determination of the international solidarity movement, as it aimed to break the blockade. But it was the massive working-class solidarity with the flotilla that made the ruling class uneasy.
The power of the organised working class was on full display in Italy, with millions participating in the recent general strikes and blockades of ports, demanding an end to arms shipments to Israel and to stop the genocide. This is the sort of action that needs to spread throughout Europe and beyond, especially in the Middle East – to build a movement for a permanent end to the slaughter, to overthrow the rotten capitalist rulers and to pave the way for socialist change.
