On 9 October, following the news of the Gaza ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas, Jane Kinninmont, CEO of UNA-UK, said:
Today’s agreement will bring desperately needed relief to the people on the ground. The next—and harder—step is to find a way to move beyond a ceasefire towards a new understanding that brings security and rights to Palestinians and Israelis alike. That will need to address the wider conflict and occupation that includes the West Bank and Jerusalem.
The US role has been critical in bringing the agreement to this point, along with Arab and European efforts. In turn, European governments have acted partly because they’ve felt bottom-up pressure from their own people calling for a ceasefire.
Within Palestinian and Israeli societies themselves, many people, including many who have been bereaved, have pressured both the Israeli government and the Hamas authorities to get to this point. Many have felt powerless in the face of atrocities, and now is a good time to acknowledge the role of all the people who stand up for peace and human rights, including some who have felt the worst effects of war crimes on their own families.
