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Palestine supporters hold signs and flags in Times Square in New York City, U.S., on January 16, 2025. /VCG
Editor's note: Anthony Moretti, a special commentator for CGTN, is an associate professor at the Department of Communication and Organizational Leadership at Robert Morris University in the U.S. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.
An important and long overdue moment has arrived in the Middle East. A ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, better known as Hamas, has been reached. Although complications and variables are difficult to ignore in the Middle East and recent updates show difficulties, the deal is expected to go into effect over the weekend.
On the one hand, yes, there should be relief; celebration seems too strong a term to use in this situation. Hostages held by both sides will be released and the critically needed rebuilding of Gaza can commence.
But on the other hand, there should be anger; this crisis has gone on for too long and that means too many people – the overwhelming number of them residents of Gaza – have died. The number of destroyed housing units is approaching 250,000. Famine is rampant and there is no way to immediately assess how the children – most especially – will physically and emotionally recover from the horrors they have experienced over the past roughly 15 months.
A United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund spokesperson correctly said just weeks ago that "despite immense efforts from all aid agencies, children continue to suffer unspeakable daily harm." He added that there was a terrible shortage "of mental health support, education and safety."
Even as the announcement of the ceasefire quickly spread across the globe on January 15, the bombing was going on. At least 81 people were killed because of Israeli forces' bombardment across the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, the Gaza Health Ministry said on January 16.
In the United States, a strange scene unfolded in two locations. In one, as U.S. President Joe Biden discussed the deal, Reuters reported the following: "Biden noted the final deal largely mirrored the framework of a proposal he made back in May. He smiled when a reporter asked who the history books will credit for the ceasefire and asked, 'Is that a joke?'" Why he or anyone else would use the word "joke" to define anything associated with this horrible tragedy defies commonsense.
In the other location, President-elect Donald Trump sought his moment in the spotlight, claiming in a social media post that he was responsible for getting the ceasefire deal brokered: "This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies." Why he or anyone would consider the agreement "epic" or had anything to do with the safety of all U.S. citizens also is disconnected from commonsense.
People lit candles in a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, praying that all detained people could return home safely, January 15, 2025. /Xinhua
What neither man said, and it is doubtful either man ever will, is that America’s intransigence has significantly contributed to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. Its many refusals to back United Nations calls for a ceasefire means that the U.S. extended the bloodshed. As one example, in late November of last year, America’s deputy ambassador to the UN insisted that the following language was insufficient to garner U.S. support for a ceasefire: A call for an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire to be respected by all parties; and … demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages."
In one of the sharpest rebukes against the Biden administration, 13 members of the State Department, the White House or the U.S. Army have resigned over the past 15 months; they did so because they could not remain silent about U.S. policy that, in their minds, was far too kind to Israel and far too demanding of Hamas.
In addition, any rhetoric from Washington, or from anywhere inside the U.S., that suggests the U.S. did all it could to resolve the crisis over the previous month must be tempered by the fact that the country continued to arm Israel but never tied such deals to commitments from that nation to rein in the assault on Gaza and its people.
As Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris leave office on January 20, they might want to reflect on a newly released poll by the Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project. It identified Americans who voted for Biden in 2020 but did not for Harris in 2024, and the number one reason why those voters made that choice: "Ending Israel's violence in Gaza." Put more bluntly, those voters had no trust in what Harris said she would do to end the crisis.
It would be wrong to assert that Hamas is blameless for what has taken place since October of 2023. Yes, it has tried to strike Israel and terrorize its people. Yes, pointed questions need to be asked about what it has done for Gaza. Yes, the people of Gaza are fed up, but remember that it remains popular with the Palestinian people.
Looking into the future, there will be "no joke" considered when scholars and other experts unravel what has happened in Gaza since Hamas launched an attack on Israel in October of 2023. One critic after another has asked how Washington's actions square with the country's often heard claims of being a proponent for peace all over the world.
Palestinian officials say that at least 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza have died because of the war. There is nothing "epic" about that.
(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on Twitter to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)