Blessed Are the Peacemakers

By Luke Collins

Many believed that this day would never come but it seems that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has finally been reached. Announced on October 9^th by US President Donald Trump, 2 days after the 2 year anniversary of the October 7^th attacks which provoked the beginning of the war. The announcement of a ceasefire is definitely a welcome one for the people of Gaza as well as the families of the Israeli hostages. This war has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, 2000 Israelis with at least 11,000 people buried under rubble. Gaza has experienced a worsening humanitarian crisis, a report from the Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC) determined famine is occurring   in Gaza, with more than 500,000 experiencing “catastrophic” levels of hunger [1]. Israel has been accused of blocking aid to Gaza, genocide, ethnic cleansing and using starvation as a weapon of war by the International Court of Justice.

Since October 7^th, 2023, Israel has been engaged in a conflict over the Gaza strip, a narrow strip of land wedged between Israel and Egypt which is controlled by Hamas, a militant Palestinian group who wish to create a Palestinian state. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Office confirmed that nearly 2000 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since the controversial US and Israeli backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation took control of aid operations in Gaza in May of this year [1]. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been accused of being an ‘instrument of Israel’s starvation policy’, not meeting the required tonnes of aid needed to prevent citizens starving and allowing IDF soldiers to fire on civilians looking for aid [2].

22 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals have been forced to close down after Israel have repeatedly targeted hospitals [1] and around 80% of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed according to the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees [3]. There have been many attempts to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza; there was a four day pause in fighting in December 2023 which ultimately led to nothing as did a further ceasefire in January 2024. The most well-known ceasefire attempt began on the 19^th of January this year in a joint effort between the Biden Administration and the Trump transition team, the day before Trump was sworn in as President, yet Netanyahu ended the ceasefire in March [4]. There was the possibility of a wider, global conflict in June  as Israel backed by the USA carried out air strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, but that conflict soon settled.

 Many events may have influenced the recent announcement of peace, but the impetus appears to be when Israel launched missiles into Doha on September 9^th. Qatar, a major US ally in the Middle East  who were acting as a mediator for negotiations between Hamas officials and the US over terms of a potential ceasefire deal. From 22-23 September, many nations including the UK and France formally recognised a Palestinian state meaning 81% of the International Community now formally recognise the state of Palestine. This action was condemned by Trump and Netanyahu as a ‘reward for Hamas’ for the October 7^th attacks. On September 29^th, Trump revealed at a White House press conference his 20 point plan for a ceasefire alongside Netanyahu. Immediately welcomed by various Middle Eastern countries, it would take Hamas until the 3^rd of October to accept the plan. Trump announced on October 9^th that a ceasefire had been negotiated by the US, Egypt, Turkey and Qatar [4] declaring “This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!“

The phases of armistice

So, what are the terms of this ceasefire agreement? It is divided into three phases:

Phase One involved the immediate cessation of hostilities, with all military operations suspended and the release of all Israeli hostages, alive and deceased, within 72 hours.. Hamas handed over its 20 living prisoners promising the remains of 24 dead prisoners too while Israel released almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, 250 of which have been convicted or suspected of security crimes. The deal says Israel will return 15 Palestinian bodies for every Israeli body. Israel also have started withdrawing troops from Gaza, they now control just over 50% of Gaza. Humanitarian aid has been allowed into Gaza with Israeli officials stating they will allow 600 trucks carrying food, medical equipment and equipment needed to fix water lines and sewages, and Gaza residents have been allowed to leave Gaza for Egypt and will be allowed back in when Israel and Egypt have secured an agreement.

Phase Two involves negotiations to begin on the disarmament of Hamas, steps to ensure Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza and the establishment of an international stabilisation force made up of 200 troops from America and Europe with Egypt and Jordan training a Palestinian police force. This phase also offers Hamas leaders amnesty and safe passage out of Gaza and into exile.

Phase Three focuses on the redevelopment of Gaza with international funding as well as the establishment of a Board of Peace who will oversee the governing of Gaza which includes former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, a controversial figure in the Middle East due to his involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq [5].

The entry of aid as well as the turnover of all remaining hostages remains incomplete as Israel did not receive the promised 24 bodies by the deadline of Monday 13^th October due to difficulties in locating the bodies [6] and one of the four bodies handed over to Israel on Tuesday 14^th October was not a hostage [7]. Israel had threatened to cut half the number of lorries carrying humanitarian aid and prevent the reopening of the Rafah Crossing to allow humanitarian aid to flow into Israel but on Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza “will likely open” [8]. Israel returned the bodies of 30 Palestinians to Gaza on Wednesday as confirmed by the Hamas-run health ministry [9]. The first phase of the ceasefire came into effect at noon on Friday 10^th October and if both sides can agree on how to implement the second phase, the war would immediately end but there may be multiple points of contention which will make the further stages difficult to get off the ground.

Hamas has refused to lay down their weapons unless a Palestinian state is recognised – something [6] which Israel and the US will not allow – and on Monday, a video circulated appearing to show Hamas troops executing Palestinians perceived to have collaborated with Israel [10]. In response, Trump stated “If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them. And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently” contradicting previous comments he has made giving Hamas his blessing to reassert control over Gaza temporarily. Hamas has also accused Israel of violating terms of the ceasefire as the Palestinian Civil Defence announced on Tuesday 14^th October that IDF soldiers had killed 7 Palestinians which Israel stated was as a result of those people “crossing the yellow line and approaching IDF troops” [11]. Another sticking point is the timeline for Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. Israel now has control of 53% of Gaza but under the ceasefire agreement, their control of Gaza should gradually decrease to 40%, 15% and the final stage would involve setting up a security perimeter that would “remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat” [6]. The vague wording and lack of clarity on timeline is an issue for Hamas and for the stability of the ceasefire agreement. Although Hamas will not be allowed to play any role in governance of Gaza under the terms of the deal despite their wishes, Netanyahu also seemed opposed to the Palestinian Authority which controls Palestine and the West Bank.

Genocide and the future of the conflict

What will happen next? Trump has gone on a lap of victory appearing at the Israeli Knesset Parliament declaring ‘a new dawn in the Middle East’ as well as going to Egypt to officially sign the agreement to end the war [12]. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the agreement, urging the immediate implementation of the ceasefire stating, ‘This agreement must now be implemented in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza’, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres pressed for full access for humanitarian aid stating “We and our partners are prepared to move – now”, while EU Foreign Secretary Kaja Kallas emphasising “The EU will do what it can to support its implementation”. Benjamin Netanyahu stated the announcement was “A big day for Israel,” and thanked IDF soldiers for “their courage and sacrifice” as well as Trump and the US for “their dedication to this sacred mission of freeing our hostages” although many in his far-right coalition are opposed to any peace deal with Hamas and are only satisfied with their complete destruction. Netanyahu has received a new surge in popularity due to the ceasefire and bringing the hostages home. Hamas also welcomed the ceasefire and stated “We call on President Trump, the guarantor states of the agreement, and all Arab, Islamic, and international parties to compel the occupation government to fully implement its obligations under the agreement and to prevent it from evading or delaying the implementation of what has been agreed upon” as well as affirming that all those who died for Palestinian freedom will not have died in vain.

The ceasefire is also being welcomed by Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas who stated he hoped it would lead to a two-state solution [13]. In Ireland, a country that has been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause for decades and was one of the first countries to recognise a Palestinian State, the Government is planning to distribute 6 million euros in aid to various UN agencies taking Ireland’s total amount of aid to Palestine to 100 million euros. Tánaiste and Foreign Minister Simon Harris stated the ceasefire was a ‘major breakthrough’ and declared “Genocide cannot be forgotten,” but when asked if Ireland would play a role in future peacekeeping negotiations, he stated “right now, the most practical help we can offer is humanitarian aid” [14].

In Northern Ireland, Steven Jaffe, co-chair of the advocacy group Northern Ireland Friends of Israel expressed relief and stated, “I pray that Hamas’ extremist and callous rule over their own people in Gaza has come to an end”. UUP MLA Steve Aiken said, “It was well beyond time for a ceasefire, and above all for the release of the hostages” [15]. SDLP leader Claire Hanna announced in Westminster that ‘nobody could be failed to be moved by the images of the hostages being reunited with their families’ and urged Keir Starmer that rebuilding of Gaza ‘be done with survivors and not over the top of them’ [16].

Belfast Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign spokesperson Sue Pentel emphasised her group would not stop protesting for Palestine, “People’s eyes have been opened to the reality of what is happening and what Israel is doing, and once they have seen it, they cannot unsee it” [17]. Even here in Queen’s, the QUB Palestine Assembly organised a walk out and protest outside the Lanyon Gate at 12:30pm on Thursday. One of the speakers at the walk out Dr Haim Breshneeth, a former IDF soldier turned anti-Zionist stated

“We must all unite against Zionism. The problem is…Zionism. All the rest are side effects of Zionism. We need to deal with the disease, not the symptom”

and the group stated

“A temporary pause in the destruction of Palestine is not our end goal, the complete and total liberation of the Palestinian people, ensured through the right to return and the decolonialisation of historic Palestine, is our end goal” [18].

On Sunday, Israel launched a series of strikes in Gaza, killing 18 people, stating it was in response to attacks on their military and Hamas supposedly violating the ceasefire [19]. Time will tell whether this ceasefire will hold but the hope is that the sun will rise again in Gaza and millions of people will be able to live in harmony without the worry of being killed every day.

References

1. Kekatos, Mary, ‘The Israel-Hamas war’s devastating human toll after 2 years, by the numbers’ in ABC News, 2025 (https://abcnews.go.com/International/israel-hamas-wars-devastating-human-toll-after-2/story?id=126252242)
2. Muhammad Jamil, ‘Gaza Foundation – A dark page in the history of humanitarian work comes to an end’ in Middle East Monitor, 2025 (https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20251013-gaza-foundation-a-dark-page-in-the-history-of-humanitarian-work-comes-to-an-end/) (31 Oct. 2025)
3. Clayton, Freddie and Max Butterworth, ‘Satellite images reveal extent of destruction in the Gaza Strip’ in NBC News, 2025 (https://www.nbcnews.com/world/gaza/satellite-images-destruction-gaza-strip-rcna236089)
4. Shamim, Sarah, ‘Key moments that led to Trump’s Gaza ceasefire deal announcement’ in Al Jazeera, 2025 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/9/key-moments-that-led-to-trumps-gaza-ceasefire-deal-announcement)
5. Cornwell, Alexander and Maayan Lubell, ‘Details of the Gaza ceasefire agreement’ in Reuters, 10 Oct. 2025 (https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/details-gaza-ceasefire-agreement-2025-10-10/)
6. BBC News, ‘What we know about the “first phase” Gaza peace deal’, 9 Oct. 2025 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgqx7ygq41o)
7. Howie, Michael, ‘Israel says body returned by Hamas is not a hostage as fears over fragile ceasefire grow’ in The Standard (2025) (https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/gaza-rafah-crossing-aid-hamas-bodies-israel-hostages-b1252971.html) (31 Oct. 2025)
8. Al Jazeera, ‘Israel delays Rafah crossing reopening as Gaza awaits much-needed aid surge’ in Al Jazeera, 2025 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/16/israel-delays-rafah-crossing-reopening-as-gaza-awaits-much-needed-aid-surge) (31 Oct. 2025)
9. BBC News ‘Israel says body returned by Hamas is not a hostage’ in BBC News, 5 Oct. 2025 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ckgzndpnjl1t)
10. Bowkett, Bill, ‘Shocking video shows Hamas executing “Israeli collaborators” in Gaza streets’ in The Standard (2025) (https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/palestinian-clans-executed-hamas-gaza-conflict-b1252863.html) (31 Oct. 2025)
11. Reynolds, James C, ‘Fears for fragile Gaza ceasefire as seven Palestinians killed and aid cut off’ in The Independent, 2025 (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/gaza-ceasefire-trump-israel-hamas-b2845226.html) (31 Oct. 2025)
12. Hutzler, Alexandra, ‘Trump touts “historic dawn of a new Middle East” in Knesset speech’ in ABC News, 2025 (https://abcnews.go.com/International/trump-tout-historic-dawn-new-middle-east-knesset/story?id=126462793)
13. Lee, David D, ‘World reacts to Gaza ceasefire deal announced by Trump’ in Al Jazeera, 2025 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/9/world-reacts-to-gaza-ceasefire-deal-announced-by-trump) (27 Oct. 2025)
14. Murphy, Mark, ‘Ireland pledges millions more for Gaza amid ceasefire | The Irish Post’ in The Irish Post, 2025 (https://www.irishpost.com/news/ireland-pledges-millions-more-for-gaza-amid-ceasefire-299182)
15. Kula, Adam, ‘Relief voiced as Northern Irish figures react to major breakthrough to end hostilities in Gaza’ in Belfast News Letter, 2025 (https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/relief-voiced-as-northern-irish-figures-react-to-major-breakthrough-to-end-hostilities-in-gaza-5353677) (31 Oct. 2025)
16. Hanna, Claire, ‘The SDLP (Social Democratic & Labour Party) on Instagram: “SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP today pressed the UK Prime Minister on Gaza, making clear that peace has to be built on justice and accountability.”’ in Instagram, 2017 (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPy_SiHgt_0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==) (31 Oct. 2025)
17. Conor Shiels, ‘Northern Ireland pro-Palestinian groups say ceasefire will not stop the protests’ in The Irish News (2025) (https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/northern-ireland-pro-palestinian-groups-say-ceasefire-will-not-stop-the-protests-3TC2KCZ6F5DTBJQNC6J3ULU2EA/) (31 Oct. 2025)
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