August 2014, under the mediation of Egypt, the 7 week conflict between Israel and Palestine finally came to a halt through a cooperative ceasefire. 50 days of the Gaza conflict had left over 2,100 people killed, with over 500
of them being children. Additionally, 11,000 people were injured and over 17,000 homes have been destroyed, leaving a majority of the population displaced. The immediate halt of massacres and killings has resulted in the rise of a peaceful atmosphere amongst the citizens of both Israel and the Gaza strip. However, the 9 former ceasefires give us an outlook on what situation this one may bring.

  The contract took place specifically in Tuesday August 26th, between the two largest military groups within the opposing forces ̶ Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. Higher authorities agreed to an open-ended ceasefire, directly
banning any rocket firings or air strikes that may take place. Also, as the Gaza strip blockade was the core of the heated debate, Israel has agreed to allow crossings to Gaza to ensure that medical help and other food supplies can be adequately provided. There are divided views on whether the ceasefire is of actual effectiveness, but the dominant views suggest that situations aren’t much different from past ceasefires. The 2014 ceasefire highly resembles the previous ones, and although the treaty has been kept the longest, the specific clauses are similar from the ones agreed 21 months ago.

  The ceasefire postpones any discussion on the fundamental issues behind the long Israel-Palestine conflict. In-depth discussion on the various political, historical, and ethnic crises between the two opposing views is yet to be dealt with. Also, difficult issues prolonged since the 2012 Gaza war, including the release of Palestinian prisoners and the construction of airports, have not been discussed. Additionally, some Israel authorities expressed their negative attitude towards the ceasefire, stating that the Netanyahu office of the Israel government has made a unilateral decision that has not been thoroughly discussed with other political parties.

  In this regard, former president of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas has stated "The question is now 'What's next?' Gaza suffered three wars, and are we expecting another one? We will consult friends and the international community, and we can't continue with cloudy negotiations." As states Abbas, many entitle the most recent ceasefire as nothing but a cloudy negotiation.

  In a sense, the ceasefire is without a doubt the best measure possible for two directly opposing states. However, past the immediate dangers lurking in the Gaza strip, the two parties have a deeper, more historical issue to tackle. The unstable state of the middle-eastern crisis has long been the center of attention for the majority of the past year. What we mustn’t overlook is the importance of understanding how tenuous the ceasefire contract may be. It may not be time for us to celebrate the “end” of a long war. For both the humane lives of the Gazans and the stability of global peace appropriate measures are in high demand.

By Eun-Jee Kim
(DG reporter)