More than 471 days since Oct. 7, 2023, the day so many of us have been asking for, praying for and demanding, has finally come to pass. A ceasefire has successfully been brokered between Israel and Hamas, ending the former’s genocidal slaughter of the Gaza Strip. For many, and certainly myself, this is cause for celebration. We’ve witnessed war crimes unlike anything our generation has ever seen broadcast daily on our devices. After over a year, we can finally look forward to an imminent ending of the terror and a relative return to “normal.” However, I must urge you to look at what this “normal” entails. While the bombing may stop, we still must continue to advocate for the Palestinian people.
In February 2022, Amnesty International posted an article detailing Israel’s activity in Palestine prior to Oct. 7. Here, it is laid out that the situation in Palestine is a situation of apartheid. According to the article, the Palestinian people have been evicted from their homes by the Israeli government, and Israel has imposed laws designed to maintain control over Palestinians. Not to mention, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), which I refer to as the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), has continuously been bombing Palestine during the ceasefire deal’s final stages. This has even included bombing ceasefire celebrations in Palestine.
Like clockwork, both former President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump have attempted to jump at the opportunity to take credit for this deal. Trump seems to have claimed that the sheer force of fear his administration would wield was the driving force behind Hamas agreeing to ceasefire. I question this, especially considering the willingness of the Palestinian resistance to fight Israel, which boasts one of the world’s most sophisticated fighting forces. Biden, for his part, seems very willing to add the ceasefire negotiation to his legacy, despite his numerous chances to end the genocide earlier. Instead, he chose to intensify it time and time again. The fact of the matter is that both these presidents’ legacies will be that of genocide, a fact they should never be able to live down.
After these instances of aggression stop, horrific systems of oppression will remain. Palestinian families will still go hungry so that Israeli settlers can live in comfort. Palestinians will still be seen as second-class citizens in their own land. They will still be subject to eviction from their homes, as Israel’s territory continues to expand. Gaza will remain the open-air prison it has been for decades. The apartheid walls will stand just as tall when all the guns cease.
While we can surely celebrate the relative victory of a ceasefire agreement being reached, this fight is far from over. All those who care for the rights of Palestinians must continue to organize, march, speak out and fight. Under no circumstances should we accept apartheid as normal. We must continue to tirelessly speak out in the name of a free Palestine, lest we simply repeat the genocide in perpetuity.
