The struggle for freedom and justice for the Palestinian people is not over, but for a moment it is possible to breathe. As a ceasefire agreement finally entered its first phase on Sunday, the world is experiencing a sigh of relief, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are slowly returning to their towns and cities across the Strip, where most homes are uninhabitable and the ceasefire agreement lays out a temporary “caravan city” for the displaced. In the West Bank, Palestinians are rejoicing with fireworks and flowers as prisoners return home to their families as part of the hostage exchange deal, while Israel holds thousands of other Palestinians hostage in administrative detention without trial. Israelis, meanwhile, are watching hostages return home in publicly-televised events in squares across major cities, with none of Israel’s major war objectives having been reached despite a year-long genocide.
We are celebrating this moment alongside the world, but are already looking towards the future that only the global movement in support of Palestinian freedom can usher in. A ceasefire in Gaza does not mean we cease our work, particularly given the uncertain future of the ceasefire deal. The ceasefire is only the beginning. At Refuser Solidarity Network, we will not stop until we see an end to the occupation, apartheid and Jewish supremacy. Right now, we need to make sure the ceasefire deal is seen through and to ensure we do not return to an occupation of the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Netanyahu has sent Israeli forces to invade the West Bank in large numbers hoping to derail the deal, meaning we need to act now. Our growing refuser movement is well-equipped to do just that, and we need global support to do so. Join the refuser movement to demand a real ceasefire deal with a clear way out of this war by helping us grow our movement: send this newsletter to your friends and communities.
A real ceasefire deal delineates a clear way out, but the deal laid out last week is hazy and uncertain. Several questions immediately come to mind, unanswered by the deal itself, mainly: who will control the Gaza Strip? This and many other questions remain to be worked out, and could lead to the derailing of the deal at any moment. On the ground, we are working to organize existing and potential refusers to resist the war effort and demand the ceasefire come to long-term fruition. For this ceasefire to hold, we need a wave of refusers who will object to any continuation of the tragic war and genocide. Our refuser movement is also preparing to resist any sort of post-war plan that sees a return to the occupation of the Gaza Strip in any shape or form.
We will continue to support groups like Soldiers for Hostages and other refusers, diverse in their politics, united by the immediate goal of putting a stop to this war in its totality and bringing a real end to the genocide. From there, a long road lies ahead. Join us and let your communities know about our work.
