Beyond Temporary Ceasefires, We Need Equality, Justice, and Dignity for All Between the River and the Sea
On Sunday, the Israel-Hamas ceasefire took effect, with three Israeli women released from Hamas captivity and 90 Palestinians released from Israeli detention. Their emotional reunions with families brought joy and relief to millions, despite coming after devastating losses — tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza, the Strip left unlivable for its 2 million residents, and dozens of Israeli hostages killed in captivity.
In Gaza, daily bombardment and occupation left no safe refuge for two million people. The Israeli government’s restriction of aid led to mass hunger and starvation, particularly in the northern Strip where Israel, and not Hamas, maintained effective control since early in the war. Meanwhile, Israel has faced rockets from Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis and dozens of Israeli remain in Hamas captivity. For the first time in Israel's history, Israelis were unable to access parts of sovereign Israeli territory near the Gaza and Lebanon borders for months.
While many hoped this ceasefire would improve conditions for both Palestinians and Israelis, the structural reality remains largely unchanged since that of before October 7th, 2023.
This situation extends beyond the Gaza war - Israeli military control affects 5 million Palestinians in territories occupied since 1967. While the ceasefire paused one military campaign between Israel and Hamas, it didn't end Israel's military control over Palestinian people and land occupied in 1967.
Even with the ceasefire, pre-October 7th realities persist. Israel continues its illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip. The closure of Gaza, in full effect since 2007 but rooted in 1990s policies, remains. A permanent ceasefire may bring leadership changes in Gaza, as removing Hamas is a key Israeli demand. Yet, without a change in Israel’s policy and control as well, we are likely to see existing dynamics continuing, including that of extreme violence.
The Israeli government, having recently voted against Palestinian statehood, is split between two main camps: One camp, which includes PM Netanyahu, prefers maintaining the status quo of military control while allowing limited Palestinian self-rule. The other, represented by Minister Smotrich, advocates annexing the West Bank and parts of Gaza, implementing ethnic cleansing to establish an exclusively Jewish state. A much smaller camp pushes for Palestinian-Israeli equality, supporting either two democratic states or one shared democracy.
Palestinian leadership somewhat mirrors these divisions, with Hamas seeking an exclusive Palestinian-led state and the Palestinian Authority supporting two states based on 1967 borders.
Recent events this week demonstrate how much power is currently in the hands of the annexation camp, as we are seeing extreme settler and military violence against Palestinians take hold in the West Bank. In Jenin, at the request of Minister and settlement movement leader Bezalel Smotrich, Israel launched a major offensive with unprecedented force, combining aerial bombardment with ground operations. The military claimed to target militant infrastructure, but the operation has already destroyed civilian buildings, including homes and shops, while causing civilian casualties. Similar to previous operations over the past two decades since the 2002 “Operation Defensive Shield,” this assault was justified as necessary to “change the balance in the fight against terror.” However, history shows these operations often harm civilians long term, strengthen violent reaction and resistance and increase the likelihood of violence against both Israeli soldiers and civilians.
Simultaneously, hundreds of violent settlers have conducted organized attacks on Palestinian communities throughout the West Bank. These are not isolated incidents but coordinated campaigns, often occurring with minimal intervention from Israeli security forces. The attacks have included the burning of homes and cars, destruction of crops - a crucial economic resource for many Palestinian families — and physical assaults on residents. Since October 7th, 2023, over 50 villages have been expelled from their homes due to this organized violence.
The closure of Bethlehem also exemplifies the broader pattern of restriction and control. Today, Israeli military authorities have severely limited Palestinian movement in and around the city, setting up additional checkpoints and blocking major roads. Furthermore, the Israeli government has ordered the army to severely restrict movement throughout the West Bank throughout the first phase of the ceasefire deal. These restrictions affect everything from access to medical care to basic commerce, essentially placing the entire population under collective punishment.
On Tuesday, four people were injured in a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, the second violent attack in four days, after another person was attacked in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
The path forward presents a stark choice: continue down the current path of annexation, war, and ethnic cleansing, or choose a different future. The status quo of military occupation has proven both morally indefensible and practically unsustainable. Recent events in Jenin, Bethlehem, and across the West Bank show how quickly the current state structures allow for violence to escalate and spread, threatening both Palestinian and Israeli lives. Horribly, further ethnic cleaning in the West Bank is a very tangible outcome of the current outcome of this pique of violence. We are no longer in a reality of long term, controlled occupation.
For lasting peace and for a just future, Israelis, Palestinians, and the international community must unite to demand fundamental change — not just temporary ceasefires, but true equality, justice, and dignity for all people between the river and the sea. This means actively opposing settler and military violence, ending the occupation, and working toward a solution that recognizes the full humanity and rights of both peoples. Only by rejecting the false promise of security through domination and embracing the possibility of peace through equality can we break this devastating cycle of violence and build a future where both peoples can thrive in security and freedom.