đ Share this article Truce in Gaza Brings Tangible Respite, However Trump's Pledge of a Era of Prosperity Rings Hollow The reprieve following the end of fighting in Gaza is immense. In Israel, the freeing of the living hostages has sparked extensive joy. In Gaza and the West Bank, festivities are also underway as up to 2,000 Palestinian detainees begin their release â even as distress remains due to ambiguity about which prisoners are returning and their destinations. In northern Gaza, civilians can finally reenter search the debris for the remnants of an estimated 10,000 unaccounted-for individuals. Truce Development Against Prior Uncertainty Only three weeks ago, the likelihood of a ceasefire appeared remote. Yet it has been implemented, and on Monday Donald Trump departed Jerusalem, where he was applauded in the Knesset, to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. There, he participated in a high-level diplomatic gathering of over 20 world leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer. The diplomatic roadmap launched at that summit is scheduled to proceed at a assembly in the UK. The US president, working alongside international partners, managed to secure this deal take place â regardless of, not due to, Israelâs prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Dreams of Independence Qualified by Previous Experiences Hopes that the deal represents the first step toward Palestinian statehood are reasonable â but, in light of past occurrences, slightly idealistic. It provides no definite route to independence for Palestinians and threatens splitting, for the near term, Gaza from the West Bank. Furthermore the complete destruction this war has caused. The absence of any timeframe for Palestinian autonomy in the US initiative contradicts self-aggrandizing references, in his Knesset speech, to the âmonumental startâ of a âgolden ageâ. The American leader could not help himself polarising and individualizing the deal in his speech. In a moment of relief â with the liberation of detainees, halt in fighting and resumption of aid â he opted to reframe it as a lesson in ethics in which he alone reinstated Israelâs dignity after alleged disloyalty by past US commanders-in-chief Obama and Biden. This despite the Biden administration a year ago having attempted a similar deal: a truce tied to relief entry and future negotiations. Genuine Autonomy Vital for Legitimate Peace A plan that withholds one side meaningful agency cannot produce legitimate peace. The truce and aid trucks are to be applauded. But this is still not policy development. Without mechanisms ensuring Palestinian involvement and control over their own establishments, any deal threatens cementing oppression under the language of peace. Relief Imperatives and Reconstruction Challenges Gazaâs people desperately need humanitarian aid â and nutrition and medication must be the first priority. But reconstruction must not be delayed. Among 60 million tonnes of debris, Palestinians need support repairing residences, educational facilities, medical centers, mosques and other organizations shattered by Israelâs military operation. For Gazaâs provisional leadership to succeed, funding must be disbursed rapidly and protection voids be filled. Similar to much of Donald Trump's resolution initiative, mentions to an multinational security contingent and a suggested âboard of peaceâ are alarmingly vague. Global Backing and Future Prospects Robust international support for the Palestinian leadership, allowing it to take over from Hamas, is probably the most encouraging prospect. The immense hardship of the recent period means the humanitarian imperative for a resolution to the conflict is potentially more pressing than ever. But even as the truce, the return of the detainees and pledge by Hamas to âdisarmâ Gaza should be acknowledged as favorable developments, the president's track record gives little reason to believe he will accomplish â or feel bound to attempt. Temporary ease does not mean that the possibility of a Palestinian state has been advanced.