Palestinians make their way back to their homes in northern Gaza Photo: Ramadan Abed/Reuters
A week has elapsed since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas went into effect. As Palestinians return to their devastated communities, we must analyze the moment and the implications for the future of Palestinians and the Palestine solidarity movement.
"When the prison doors are opened, the real dragon will fly out." - George Jackson
Many welcomed the news of a ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian resistance—led by Hamas—and the Zionist colony. While many have correctly pointed out that this ceasefire plan was already on the table in late 2023, there is a need for a deeper analysis of the unfolding situation. This article will dive into three important points regarding the ceasefire. First, the question of to what degree this is a victory for the Palestinian resistance and thus a loss for the Zionists. Secondly, the crisis of imperialism, and thirdly, what this means moving forward for pro-Palestine organizing in the rest of the world, particularly the United States.
On the first point, whether or not this ceasefire—if implemented fully—is a victory for the Palestinian resistance, the answer is affirmative. Over 1000 Palestinian prisoners will be released, including some 250 who were on death row for their participation in armed resistance. Leaders of the resistance such as Ziyad Al Nakhala and Yayha Sinwar were released during prisoner exchanges and went on to build the resistance into the formidable force we know today. According to Electronic Intifada, none of the Palestinians released have signed any documents saying they will refrain from their national and patriotic duties, which only means that the ranks of the resistance will swell more. To emphasize the scale of this prisoner exchange, 33 “Israelis” are being exchanged for over 1000 Palestinians. The scale of this was mentioned by the martyr, Saleh Al Arouri, when he commended the Zionists for valuing their people so much as to do anything to get them back. Arouri continued, arguing that he wished it wasn’t so, because then surely it would spell the end of the Zionist garrison state. The complete withdrawal of “Israeli” forces from the Gaza Strip as well as mandated hours where there can be no overflight surveillance by the Zionists are strong evidence that Hamas was negotiating from a more confident position. Kita’ib Al Qassam spokesman, Abu Obeida, said it best in October 2023: "We promise Netanyahu, his military staff, and his army leadership that they will get down on their knees at the end of this battle”. This ceasefire potentially opens the door for this reality.
Another accomplishment of this ceasefire and touches on the fundamental moral issue: it can alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza for even a brief period. On the “Israeli” side, Operation Toufan Al Aqsa and the ceasefire agreement have exposed the fragility of the colonial entity. “They are weaker than a spider’s web,” in the words of the martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. The Zionist economy is in tatters, the contradictions in the ruling class and “Israeli” society writ large are becoming antagonistic to the point of chaos, hundreds of thousands of settlers have fled back to Europe, and they have been unable to break the blockade by the Yemenis. Ben Gvir has left the government and Smotrich is threatening to plan a coup d’etat against the Netanyahu clique. All of this points to an “Israel” in crisis. Yet, we mustn’t discount the fact that they are now occupying large swathes of Syrian land and that they have weakened Hezbollah. All of this makes for a very volatile situation in the region.
So what of the crisis of imperialism? In general terms, the US ruling elite and their subservient British and French allies have been unable to defeat the Yemenis and their steadfast support for Palestine. Their grip on the region is weakening. While the US regime’s favorite takfiri jackal is in power in Syria, the costs of keeping the Syrian comprador regime afloat will prove to be a quagmire for the imperialists. This is much like keeping the Ukrainian Nazi regime afloat, which has been nothing but a money pit. The incoming Trump regime is going to have its hands full when it comes to attempted negotiations in Ukraine and keeping a lid on Palestine. While the rabid settler movement has an ally in Trump, the Gaza resistance—as well as the West Bank resistance—has proven that defeating them in battle is no easy task. Trump’s antagonistic relationship with Mexico could potentially strain relations with Latin America, which has a large base of support for Palestine.
What can we do as Palestinians in exile? What can we do as a U.S. working class that is pushing against the power of Zionists in our own government? We must take advantage of the news cycle and use the ceasefire as a launching pad to the next demand: a full arms embargo against “Israel.” Seven of the largest trade unions in this country have already called for this; we must add more unions to this roster. We must unite the progressive forces in the working class movement to ensure that anti-imperialist forces are at the forefront of our efforts.
A total arms embargo is the next most achievable step for a few reasons. Firstly, the crisis of “Israeli” society has translated into a questioning of Zionism and US foreign policy inside of the US and from forces of the left and right. People are concerned about all the money the government throws at “Israel” in order for them to turn around and use it against children. Even if there are right wingers who only question the US-"Israeli” relationship on economic terms, we must use that to our advantage and push for the embargo. Secondly, the Palestine movement still has momentum all across the world, and has achieved victories in Europe. In France, long-time political prisoner and Arab patriot, Georges Ibrahim Abdallah was released from prison. Spain also refused to ship weapons bound for the colony. Some countries are also prosecuting Zionist soldiers on holiday in their respective countries. Keeping up the pressure on the Zionist regime through pressure on the imperialist governments is a duty for all forces of freedom and liberation worldwide.
For 471 days, the Zionists committed the most base and heinous atrocities, yet none of these atrocities achieved any of their strategic objectives. Similarly, for 471 days the resistance in Gaza showed how 21st century guerilla warfare is fought. This is the martyr Basel Al Araj’s flea war par excellence. In his speech regarding the ceasefire and the achievements of the resistance, Abu Obeida correctly asserted that military colleges will be studying this war for a long time. How could they not?
In conclusion, we should be cautiously optimistic about this ceasefire. The world knows that Netanyahu needs war to keep himself in power, and so violations of the ceasefire are a distinct possibility for which we should remain vigilant. We must also stay vigilant regarding the fierce battles happening in Jenin. For a moment, the people of Gaza have a reprieve. Their steadfastness and courage shine as a bright star on the path to liberation from colonialism.
Hanna Eid is a Palestinian American writer, researcher, and Union electrical worker. His writing concerns mainly imperialism and anti-imperialism in west Asia and west Africa.
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