Screenshot from video posted on YouTube by Aljazeera Arabic showing Palestinians celebrating the announcement of the ceasefire. Fair use.
After 466 harrowing days of war, a ceasefire was finally declared, set to take effect on Sunday, January 19, 2025. This would mark the end of a devastating war that had seen unprecedented destruction and loss of life in Gaza. The announcement followed multiple United Nations resolutions, International Criminal Court (ICC) warrants against Israeli leaders Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, an International Court of Justice (ICJ) case accusing Israel of genocide, and multiple reports by the UN and humanitarian organizations about genocide, war crimes, starvation, systematic targeting of hospitals, children, schools, and humanitarian aid. Despite these efforts, the war shattered records for civilian casualties — including journalists, United Nations workers, and medics — amputee children, and scale of destruction.
The ceasefire — brokered by Qatar and guaranteed by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States — was announced by Qatar’s foreign minister on Wednesday, January 15. This agreement comes just days before the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president on January 20, effectively allowing Israel to continue its bombardment until the Biden administration’s last day. Ironically, the terms of the ceasefire are nearly identical to those that have been on the negotiating table for the past eight months.
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu further delayed the cabinet meeting to approve the ceasefire. The delays came amid the rejection by parts of his ruling coalition of any talk of stopping the war and demands for guarantees that fighting will resume after the first phase. This also comes after Israeli strikes on Gaza killed 86 people in the day since the announcement.
The ceasefire agreement
According to details published in various media outlets, the ceasefire will unfold in phases. The initial six-week phase includes a limited prisoner exchange, the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and an influx of humanitarian aid into the enclave. Subsequent phases — agreed to in principle — will be negotiated during this initial period.
Despite global relief at the ceasefire, skepticism remains. Israel has intensified its bombing campaigns in the lead up to the cessation of hostilities, raising fears for the immediate future with the Guardian reporting 70 Palestinians killed by Israel in the hours after the announcement. Following the ceasefire announcement, reports emerged of Israel escalating its bombardment of Gaza City. The Palestinian Civil Defence confirmed that residential blocks in northern Gaza were being targeted, with rescue crews struggling to reach those in need.
Human toll and record-breaking destruction
The statistics from this war are staggering. As per the Gaza Government Media Office, 1,600 families have been entirely wiped off the civil registry. Casualty figures include 17,841 children, 12,298 women, and 1,068 medics. An estimated 202 journalists have also been killed. Beyond the human cost, the conflict has decimated Gaza’s infrastructure, leaving 161,600 residential units destroyed and 34 hospitals non-operational. The psychological and social toll is equally devastating, with 35,074 children losing both parents and 109,274 individuals wounded.
A peer-reviewed study recently published in the prestigious medical journal the Lancet, claims that the real numbers of casualties are 40 percent higher than recorded by the Palestinian authorities, putting them at over 64,000 killed, around 3 percent of the total pre-war population.
This death toll includes only deaths from traumatic injuries, and not from other causes such as lack of health care or food, or the thousands of missing people believed to be buried under rubble.
Another study published earlier in the same journal included indirect deaths, which usually range from three to 15 times the number of direct deaths, and putting the number, in July 2024, at already 186,000 killed.
Voices from Gaza and beyond
Gaza’s residents reacted with a mix of relief, exhaustion, and determination, with thousands taking to the streets to celebrate.
This sentiment was reflected in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Gaza Notifications: “We, the steadfast—young and old, men and women—will remove the rubble and rebuild it with pride.”
🚨 “We will rebuild Gaza, and it will become even more beautiful than before,” said a Gazan woman following the announcement of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Demonstrating unwavering determination, she added, “We, the steadfast—young and old, men and women—will remove the… pic.twitter.com/CaVlUZLCa8
— Gaza Notifications (@gazanotice) January 15, 2025
Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad captured the global sentiment succinctly in an Instagram post: “On a random Wednesday, the world decided that they had enough of Palestinian blood.” Her words reflect the frustration of many who feel that the international community’s intervention came far too late.
View this post on Instagram
Meanwhile, another journalist, Aljazeera’s Anas Alsharif, celebrated the ceasefire by removing his protective gear in a widely shared video.
love how the reporter starts taking off his press gear as he announces a ceasefire agreement and the crowd erupts in cheers as they help him take his jacket off and one of the guys puts him on his shoulders to celebrate 😭 pic.twitter.com/k9YbhbyoS5
— سماح | 🧚🏾♀️samah (@samah_fadil) January 15, 2025
Reactions from the United States and Israel
In the United States, both outgoing president Joe Biden and incoming president Donald Trump claimed credit for the ceasefire. However, Trump’s pressure was instrumental in pushing the deal through. Israeli reactions were mixed. While some welcomed the agreement, others viewed it as capitulation to external pressure, particularly from Trump. Noga Tarnopolsky, an Israeli journalist, reported disappointment among those who believed the war should have continued.
💥Stunned like the true believer he is, Netanyahu proxy @ErelSegal laments: “We're the 1st to pay a price for Trump's election. [The deal] is being forced upon us… We thought we'd take control of northern Gaza, that they'd let us impede humanitarian aid” pic.twitter.com/VrbDYE8KJ2
— Noga Tarnopolsky נגה טרנופולסקי نوغا ترنوبولسكي (@NTarnopolsky) January 13, 2025
International response
Globally, the ceasefire was met with cautious optimism. Many world leaders welcomed the cessation of hostilities, emphasizing the urgent need for humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts. However, skepticism looms large. With past ceasefires having been short lived, there is fear that this agreement could follow a similar trajectory.
UN Secretary General António Guterres welcomed the ceasefire as a “critical first step” saying that “It is imperative that this ceasefire removes the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid across Gaza so that we can support a major increase in urgent life saving humanitarian support,” and warning that “the humanitarian situation is at catastrophic levels.”
The path forward
As Gaza begins to grapple with the possible aftermath of this devastating war, critical issues remain unresolved and many questions unanswered. These include justice for victims, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the broader peace process and the future of Palestinians and Palestine. The toll of this conflict — in lives lost, infrastructure destroyed, and psychological trauma inflicted — is a grim reminder of the need for lasting solutions and a just peace. Rebuilding Gaza will require not just material aid but also a commitment to addressing the root causes of the conflict and bringing justice and accountability for widely documented war crimes.
The ICJ’s role in pursuing justice remains an open question, particularly given its recent leadership changes after its current president, Lebanese judge Nawaf Salam was appointed prime minister in Lebanon and is set to be replaced by the vice president, Ugandan judge Julia Sebutinde, criticized for pro-Israel rulings and raising concerns about impartiality in future legal proceedings.
The international community must also grapple with its role in preventing future atrocities. As the ceasefire takes effect, the spotlight remains on Gaza, where the scars of war are evident in every destroyed home, every grieving family, and every maimed child. The coming weeks and months will test the resolve of the international community to uphold human rights and ensure accountability for the horrific crimes committed and documented against the Palestinians.
