“Perceptions,” by Gerry Warner

Op-Ed Commentary

So where does it go from here?

Will the phased-in cease-fire agreement signed Wednesday between Israel and Hamas really hold or will it dissolve into a million pieces like so many have before? If I was a betting man, I’d be loath to bet on this one because the chances of peace in the Middle East seem so remote. But miracles do occur.

Occasionally.

But with disputes as ancient and bitter as this one, peace agreements often shatter and the weapons come out again and the carnage is even greater than before. Such was the case last century when the First World War took more than 10 million lives compared to the 50 million killed during the Second World War. But surely the estimated 67,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza by Israel must also be considered  an atrocity because the Palestinian death toll was almost entirely civilians – women and children – while the less than a thousand Israelis killed were mainly seasoned soldiers.

But the biggest initial question emerging from the cease-fire is who should get the credit?  To the surprise of no one, US President Donald Trump is claiming the bulk of the credit and many international leaders are supporting him including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who praised Trump for showing “decisive leadership” even though no Canadians participated in the talks. Trump himself was quick to highlight his role in bringing the fighting to an end at least for now.

“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of our Peace Plan,” said the bellicose president.  “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!” he said on Truth Social during an Oval Office interview. Promising a strong durable and everlasting peace, Trump said, all parties will be treated fairly. “This is a Great Day for the Arab and Muslim worlds,” he said triumphantly.

And clearly it was.

Several months ago, Trump talked about Gaza in terms of one of his infamous real estate deals and potentially a great property for glittering hotels, casinos, bars and condos. Now basking in the glow of his cease-fire agreement with Israel and Hamas, Trump’s name is drawing more attention as a future Nobel Peace Prize winner after this year’s prize was awarded Oct.10 to Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado.

White House Foreign Affairs Committee member Brian Mast of Florida, a former US Army veteran who participated in previous wars in Gaza applauded Trump’s role. “President Trump just did what career diplomats never could, he brought the world closer than it’s ever been to peace in Gaza.”

But details of the proposed cease-fire agreement remain murky. Mosab Abu Toha, a Gaza-born poet and 2025 Pulitzer Prize winner for his New Yorker essays about life under siege, expressed unease. “To be honest, I do not like the language here,” he said. “The agreement signed should be emphatically about a permanent cease-fire. No more slaughtering of more Palestinians. It must not take phases to end a genocide.”

Similar caution was expressed by Yousef Munayyer, a Palestinian American who heads the Palestine-Israel program at the Arab Center, in Washington, DC. On X, he said a “very likely scenario moving forward” shows how fragile the situation really is. “Trump gets his Nobel Peace Prize Friday. Israel gets its captives back Saturday. (Some in body bags). Genocide continues Sunday.”

Or as the Greek poet Aeschylus wrote eons ago: “In war, truth is the first casualty.” But for now, “hudna,” (truce), is on everyone’s lips including the Palestinians.

And that is good.

Map of Gaza from Wikipedia

– Gerry Warner is a retired journalist trying hard to be optimistic about Middle East peace prospects this time.

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