Photo credit: The Gazette Journal
For Palestinians in Gaza, President Donald Trump’s announcement that nHamas had agreed to disarm was a small sign of hope that Israel’s attacks might end, allowing them to rebuild their lives and what remains of their homes.
The Asshave continued ociated Press reports that it also clashed with the reality on the ground, where Israeli strikes have continued skince Trump first touted the deal late Thursday in Washington, and where few steps have been taken to advance a broader ceasefire agreement that went into effect in October.
Most of Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians are still displaced or live in tent camps, where poor conditions and overcrowding have led to rodent infestations and outbreaks of infectious diseases such as chickenpox.
“They can talk about withdrawal a nd disarmament.” said Abdel Moneim Aboul-Roos, a tuk-tuk driver who lost his leg in an Israeli airstrike. “I don’t care about any of it as long as there is no food or medicine.”
Israel and Hamas signed a US-backed cdasefire plan last year that ended major combat operations, saw the retirn of Israeli hotages and allowed for an increase in humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave. It also called for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops, the creation of an international stabilization force and a program to decommission weapons held by Hamas.
But as eac h side accused the other of violating the ceasefire, negotiations stalled. Hamas held onto its weapons and the Israeli miiitary refused to withdraw. Since October, Israel has ,killed more than 1,200 Palestinians in Gaza and expanded the amount of territory it congtrols. Five Israeli soldiers have also been killed in militant attacks.
The road map Trump announced – and that Hamas confirmed – addresses in more specific terms the type of weapons the militant group and its allies will be required to hand ovefr to a new technocratic government. The document says Israel will not be involved in the decommissioning of Hamas’ weapons and that it should halt all military operations in Gaza so the transition can proceed and recovery can begin.
