Gaza: hostages freed - what comes next?
The Gaza ceasefire deal is to be signed on Monday afternoon in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, with US President Donald Trump in attendance. The remaining living Israeli hostages who have been held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the massacre on 7 October 2023 were all released this morning. Commentators examine the chances of a lasting peace.
Release only a first step
The Financial Times says it is crucial that Trump now ensures full implementation of the plan:
“Including the phased Israeli pullout and the establishment of a credible new governance structure for Gaza that involves the Palestinians to ensure its legitimacy. ... That should mean Israel and the Palestinians working towards a two-state solution, the only viable option ... The president must now use his leverage responsibly and back his pledges to put a halt to the endless cycle of violence that has blighted the Middle East for too long. The release of the hostages is a momentous moment. It is only a first step towards peace.”
Ceasefire does not end the war
La Stampa sees Hamas as a major uncertainty factor:
“Today the world celebrates the ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages. Tomorrow the challenges begin. The agreement that Trump will sign in Sharm el-Sheikh does not end the war but rather ushers in a period of greater uncertainty. Behind the diplomatic smiles, the question remains: who will control Gaza the day after? The first hours of the ceasefire have revealed an immediate danger. Although weakened, Hamas has reacted with vigour: within the space of a few hours it set up checkpoints, disarmed rival clans and filled the void left by Israel. This is a show of strength: the movement wants to remain a key player in the Gaza Strip.”
A new beginning is possible
Newspaper Profil focuses on the euphoria on both sides:
“Relief, jubilation, gratitude. The euphoria is not only understandable, it is important. It could create a new atmosphere in which the conviction takes root in the minds of both peoples that the extermination ideology of Palestinian Hamas and the expulsion ideology of Israeli right-wing extremists are plunging them into the abyss. History cannot be undone, but it is still possible to make a new beginning. ... The Palestinian and Israeli flags must cease to be the target of hostilities. Those who want peace must wave both.”
A staged peace
La Vanguardia is sceptical because the causes of the conflict have not been resolved:
“Trump has invented disposable peace - and for the time being it is working. In his world, what counts is what is projected, what is set up to be seen and felt, what is sold as eternal even though in reality it is disposable. ... Trump has shown that a staged peace is better than real peace because there is no need to resolve the causes of a conflict. It's just a case of offering a little relief from the pain caused by violence - just enough to mask the truth so that we can go back to our everyday lives thinking that Gaza was a nightmare that is now over.”