All eyes on the start of peace between Israel and Hamas

 Days after the release of activists who reached the shores of the conflict zone, President Donald Trump announced the kickoff of the diplomatic breakthrough. Amnesty International says it is "insufficient."

With the whole world's eyes on the Middle East for two years, a new peace agreement announced this week brings hope of putting an end to the fire between Israel  and Hamas. Since the Islamist group's first attack on Israeli soil on September 7, 2023, the continuous defensive and offensive attacks have perpetrated a constant slaughter that, two years later, shows signs of coming to a halt.

The message was delivered by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who announced that both Hamas and Israel had given their approval to the "peace plan" established at the negotiating table. This first phase includes the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory of Gaza, a key flashpoint of the conflict. 

Through his official account on the social network X, the U.S. leader said he was "proud" to announce this new process, the result of multiple diplomatic talks held in Cairo, Egypt. Along the same lines, the American head of state anticipated "fair treatment" for the parties in dispute.

The president stressed that "all the hostages" would be released soon. For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that he would convene his country's government to move forward with the release of hostages and prisoners, while thanking Trump for his collaboration in this new stage. The news comes after the release of a photo showing a friendly meeting between the Israeli Army representative, Nitzan Alon, and the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, as an auspicious gesture in the context of ceasefire agreements.

"Regrettably insufficient": organizations respond to the agreement

Meanwhile, international organizations have already echoed the news. Amnesty International issued a categorical statement in which it warned that "Trump's peace plan is insufficient." In the document released in the last few hours, the organization indicated that this ceasefire process must inexorably entail the "end of apartheid, occupation and genocide" that it attributes to Israel against Palestine. 

Referring to the terms of the agreement, Amnesty considered that both Hamas and other Islamic fundamentalist groups must "release the people held as hostages." It also urged Israel to release the "arbitrarily detained Palestinians," among whom it included civilians held captive without judicial proceedings or formal orders, health workers arrested for providing assistance, and those deemed "unlawful combatants."

As in previous statements, Amnesty International's position was forceful regarding violations of human rights and international law, a debate that brings into play what it defines as apartheid and forced displacement policies imposed by Israel. It also stressed that the plan in question "does not guarantee that the Palestinian population participates fully and meaningfully" in decisions and actions within the Palestinian territory that is currently occupied.

The United Nations (UN) also commented on the situation in the Gaza Strip. In a review of the conflict from its beginning to date, the UN recalled that the Hamas attack of September 7, 2023, caused the deaths of 1,200 people and the taking of 250 hostages, while Israel's counterattack has already claimed 67,000 lives and left some 170,000 injured.

On social media, the head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, demanded "accountability" for the human rights violations of recent years and the immediate delivery of supplies to Gazans. UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pirés agreed, focusing on children as a gravely affected target of what he described as a "disproportionate response" by Israel. At a press conference, Pirés noted that official reports estimate more than 60,000 children "killed or maimed since 2023." The UNICEF representative also welcomed the peace agreement announced by Trump and predicted a possible "ray of hope" from this stage onward.

Release of peace activists

This new stage of peace coincides with the worldwide repercussions generated days ago by the activist mission undertaken by the so-called Global Sumud Flotilla, which brought together citizens from many countries. 

In a joint action by several vessels, the flotilla arrived this week in waters bordering the Gaza area, where they were intercepted by Israeli authorities. Several of these activists, who carried the message against the genocide, were detained and then released in recent days. Among them were Argentines Carlos Bertola, Celeste Fierro and Ezequiel Peressini.

Guillermo Whpei

President of Fundación para la Democracia