On Wednesday, January 15 it was announced that a ceasefire deal had been reached between Israel and Hamas, ending a 15 month assault on the Palestinian territory of Gaza.
The conflict began after the October 7, 2023 attack by the terrorist group Hamas against Israeli civilians, which saw over 1,200 Israelis killed and 100 taken hostage.
Immediately following that attack the Israeli military began their invasion of Gaza.
It is estimated that over 45,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed since October 8, 2023, mostly women and children.
Approximately 60 per cent of Gaza has been destroyed, including most of its medical facilities and other critical infrastructure.
For months, members of the Israeli government, such as national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, repeatedly sought to foil any attempts at securing a ceasefire.
Two phase deal for Gaza ceasefire
The ceasefire is temporary and far from permanent.
Under the agreed upon terms, the current ceasefire is supposed to last for 42 days.
Hamas will release some of its hostages, and Israel will release some of the Palestinians that it too has taken hostage.
Israeli troops will pull out of Gaza and Palestinian civilians will be allowed to return to their homes.
Humanitarian aid that has long been blocked from entering Gaza by Israel will finally be allowed to reach Palestinians.
Over the course of the next month and a half, Israel, Hamas and mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the US will discuss how Gaza will be governed in the future, with Israel calling for the removal of Hamas.
If a deal is not reached after the 42 days of this first phase of the ceasefire, then hostilities may resume.
Fight continues for justice and accountability
While groups calling for support and solidarity with Palestine are celebrating an end to this latest onslaught of death brought by Israel, they also argue the fight for justice and accountability must continue.
Late last year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes against the Palestinian people.
READ MORE: ICC issues arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s former defence minister
The UN has found that Israel’s approach to its campaign in Gaza shows characteristics of a genocide.
Independent Jewish Voices Canada has long stated that there must be accountability for Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. In their reaction to the news of the ceasefire deal, they said the following in an official statement:
“The processes that brought about Israel’s genocide in Gaza existed well before October 7, 2023, and will remain after the implementation of this ceasefire agreement. For history to truly change course, we must do everything in our collective power to make sure that Israeli settler-colonialism and apartheid is fully dismantled and that the era of Israeli impunity is put to an end. The perpetrators of this genocide must be held accountable, and Palestine must be free.”
Activist groups across Canada are not letting up in their campaigns for justice for Palestine.
The Ottawa chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement announced their intention to hold a rally at the Human Rights Monument in Ottawa on January 16.
A statement from the Palestinian Youth Movement reads:
“Sweeping destruction exists in every part of Gaza, and despite the announcement of a ceasefire, Israel continues its relentless bombing campaign while over a million Palestinians continue to endure the misery and indignity of living in displacement tents. Since the announcement of the agreement on 15 January, at least 71 Palestinians have been killed and over 200 injured in Israeli strikes across Gaza, according to the Civil Defense in Gaza.”
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