Israelis-Palestinians: From a Ceasefire to Negotiations in Good Faith
TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 20 Jan 2025
René Wadlow – TRANSCEND Media Service
17 Jan 2025 – On Sun, 19 Jan 2025, starts the implementation of the agreement between the authorities of Israel and Hamas concerning the Gaza Strip and Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. It is to be a 42-day ceasefire during which 33 Israeli hostages are to be released and 100 Palestinian prisoners to return home. During this ceasefire, the United Nations authorities said that they would scale up delivery of humanitarian relief and start the rebuilding of medical facilities destroyed by the 15 months of war since 7 October 2023.
The agreement is a critical first step, but we must mobilize efforts for the broader process of negotiations in good faith. Although imperfect and still tenuous, the ceasefire is a cause for rejoicing. People will return home to start the long process of healing.
Negotiations in good faith must be broader than with Hamas. There needs to be a renewed Palestinian Authority with the participation of a broad section of the Palestinian population. The future of the West Bank is not covered by the ceasefire agreement.
Those of us outside of Israel – Palestine can work for the creation of an atmosphere of trust and dialogue. There is much to be done to create this atmosphere. A wide range of initiatives is needed and most welcome!
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René Wadlow is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment. He is President of the Association of World Citizens, an international peace organization with consultative status with ECOSOC, the United Nations organ facilitating international cooperation and problem-solving in economic and social issues, and editor of Transnational Perspectives.
Tags: Gaza, Genocide, Palestine/Israel
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 20 Jan 2025.
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