For Palestinians, this was never a ceasefire Dalia Hatuqa:

Palestinian health officials reported that over 400 individuals from Gaza lost their lives during an Israeli bombardment that lasted less than a day. This estimate was given during the end of so-called ceasefire agreements between Hamas and Israel after January 15, Israel resumed fire four days later. US, Qatar, and Egypt led attempts of diplomatic intervention for a ceasefire. Most people familiar with the Israeli-Palestinian affairs know the fire on the coastal region did not actually cease.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Gaza Strip health ministry claimed, between 22 January to 11 March 700 Palestinians lost their lives at the hand of the Israeli defense forces or their corpses were found from previously inaccessible areas. During the past two months, health officials also claimed Israel stopped upholding certain conditions of the truce, specifically the placement of trailers and tents as shelter from the extreme cold weather which led to the deaths of many, including children.

Israel was required to permit the entry of heavy duty equipment needed to remove rubble from the Gaza Strip. The United Nations posited that if Israel continued to maintain its blockade, it would take over 350 years to begin the process of rebuilding infrastructure and homes that have been destroyed. Israel, however, did not permit these actions to take place, and therefore, chose to ignore the stipulations of the ceasefire.

A much more urgent stipulation was enabling the more aid access into Gaza. Even though additional trucks crossed the border during the first phase of the agreement, they still did nothing to alleviate the horrible humanitarian crisis the Gaza Strip is facing. As per a report from the BBC, drone strikes were conducted by Israel after Israeli authorities blocked all aid shipments to Gaza after the expiry of the first phase of the ceasefire.

From the beginning, Israel had imposed limitations on the entry of items such as scalpels, toys, fuels, and even spices. This made Israel's decision more attainable. With other necessities and food being brought to a complete halt, humanitarian organizati0ons expressed concern, and rightfully so, that Gaza was “facing catastrophic levels of acute food acute shortages” as provided by the UN report. This allowed Médecins Sans Frontières to accuse israel of utilizing aid as a “bargaining chip” for negotiating purposes.

The so called truces wasn’t anything other than political moves, giving Israel the ability to press pause on the war until the time was right. Having the core components of the occupation and siege battle was something they truly cherished. This aide israel to maintain them throughout the so called ‘truce’. While Gaza had to deal with aerial assaults and the harsh blockade rule, they were also, as implied, callously and brutually killing and abusing Palestinian soliders. When one takes a closer look at the Israel occupied West Bank, the scenario is not too different they have seen and heard. Thousands of disturbing abstraction of innocents that so happen to carry out mundane tasks has became the new norm.

This is something we have observed time and time again. First comes the Israeli bombardment, followed by a steep increase in civilian casualties, intense global criticism, calls for a halt on violence, and at last, a short period of de-escalation. But during such phases, Israel prepares for the next round of violence by reinforcing its military positions and re-arming. A prime example of this would be Israel’s 23-day bombardment of Gaza after placing Hamas on a 6-month ceasefire. This was labeled as “operation cast lead” and was claimed to be instigated after Israel Hamas actively worked to violate the split, but many independent reporters revealed that Israel had already set its plans in motion months before the ceasefire, utilizing the military buildup phase to strategize the attack.

Whenever reports or investigations are conducted on Israel, the country tends to put a span of violence on pause. This in turn results in their public image improving when the blame is put on the Palestinians by Israel aiding in the conflicts. With the nation having partaken in negotiations based around ceasefires without addressing the actual besiegement or occupation, Israel ensures nothing changes for the better long term. An actual ceasefire would necessitate Israel to do more than simply put a stop to violence, instead lift the overwhelming occupation and borderline suffocating siege on Gaza. As it currently stands, every so called truce offered is an illusion.

Gaza does not need yet another temporary truce; it requires an unconditional shift in international policy which stops considering Israel’s actions to be unquestionable and starts holding it accountable for its infringement of Israel’s human rights and international laws. This is the only solution that will prevent the Palestinians and those in Gaza from suffering due to the unbroken cycle of violence.