(credit: Monash University)
A ceasefire has been proposed between Hamas and Israel. It has yet to be approved by both parties, but they are currently negotiating a 6-week ceasefire.
Fanshawe students are happy with the news of the ceasefire but are hoping it’s permanent.
“You take what you can get, and I am glad to hear that there are at least some sort of negotiations going forward,” Fanshawe student Emma White said. “It’s gotten out of hand. It’s gotten atrocious, and there’s a genocide but I’m hoping that they sent some good people to do the negotiations with and then something productive comes out of it.”
Israel and Hamas have been at war since October 2023. Some Fanshawe students are hoping this ceasefire will give Palestine time to grieve and rebuild.
“It’s been going on for over a year now, I think, and it it’s nice to know that there’s at least going to be 6 weeks and hopefully more where they can obviously discuss things and the people in Palestine can finally get some sort of break,” Sage Owens said. “They need time to recuperate and yeah, kind of grieve because they haven’t had that time.
The release of hostages remain a topic of negotiation, but some students are hoping the ceasefire will help those currently contained.
“They have captured so many hostages and I’m hoping that they release all the hostages,” Christina said. “There is one guy from my country (Nepal) who’s been stuck there for like more than seven months now, and we are doing our best to, you know, bring him back home.”
Qatar, Egypt and the United States have helped mediate the ceasefire, according to a statement by United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres.
“This deal is a critical first step, but we must mobilize all efforts to also advance broader goals, including the preservation of the unity, contiguity and integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” Guterres said in his UN statement. “Palestinian unity is essential for achieving lasting peace and stability, and I emphasize that unified Palestinian governance must remain a top priority.”
Currently, Israel’s cabinet has delayed the vote on the ceasefire and are awaiting the negotiation of the hostage release.
There is hope that that the ceasefire will be approved and put in place January 19.
