While a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas may give a little bit of relief, some in Guelph don’t have confidence it will last.
The ceasefire came into effect on Jan. 19 after 15 months of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. As part of the deal, hostages held by Hamas are supposed to be released in exchange of the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Three hostages and 90 prisoners have been released so far.
Rabbi Raphi Steiner of Chabad Guelph doesn’t think the ceasefire will stick because it would mean Israel would have to give up on its goal to remove Hamas.
“A ceasefire is an opportunity for them to regroup and rearm and fight yet another day, which means yet again more loss of life,” said Steiner. “It seems pretty obvious to me that this war isn't over.”
Initially it felt like relief to hear of the ceasefire for Mayar Alfarra, who spoke on behalf of UoGforPalestine, in an interview. But she knows it could be temporary. “The ceasefire is long overdue, but we know that the violence will not stop,” she said.
The ceasefire, in a sense, is representative of Israel's power but at the same time is representative of the “resilience and steadfastness of the Palestinian people,” said Alfarra.
Steiner is pleased to see some of the hostages have been released and thinks everyone is glad to see no lives being lost right now. He still has questions on whether the ceasefire will be honoured and if all the hostages will be returned.
“It's a measured sigh of relief, but worry for what the future holds and what this means,” said Steiner.
He said a University of Guelph student reached out to another Chabad to ask if a celebration could be hosted to recognize the return of the hostages. The overall response was that people are not celebrating and are still grieving.
It was a relief for Alfarra to hear of the release of 90 Palestinian prisoners but said it’s not enough. “It's a move in the right direction, but hopefully there's more coming,” she said.
Alfarra isn’t certain if the ceasefire will continue and said a lot of Palestinians are exhausted. To have the ceasefire slow things down has been really big, she said.
She’s waiting to see what role is played by President Donald Trump’s administration but doesn’t think it will result in positive changes. It’s scary for her to think about and difficult to anticipate.
Steiner thinks both Israel and Hamas are trying to do what’s in their best interest but thinks it will have to come to a point where it resumes.
“I hope that Israel does what it needs to do in a safe manner that protects as most lives as possible, as fast as possible. Because the faster we get to the end of this war, the faster that the Gazans, the innocent Gazans, can get back to their regular life, and Israel can get back to their regular life,” said Steiner.
He wants to see less lives lost on both sides. “I care for Gazan and Palestinian lives as well. I don't want to see death,” said Steiner.