Breaking news, midnight - Peace in the Middle East?

AGAA4

Ceasefire is now in place say the IDF who have moved back to agreed line.
Palestinians are moving north again and aid trucks are surging into Gaza.
Hostages should be released by early next week.
Big relief all round.

Yes it is, but the testing time will be next week after the hostages are released.
Will the remnants of hamas lay down their weapons? They have to disarm as part of the peace plan.

For the moment I feel glad that part of the plan is working and aid is finally going into Gaza Oreo and the fighting has ceased.
We know there will be sticking points along the way. This is not going to be easy. Peace for ever more in the middle east as Trump says? Not sure about that but at least a respite for now.

“Israelis and Palestinians may have danced in the streets when news broke overnight that a deal had been reached between Hamas and Israel over the first phase of a peace deal for Gaza.

But the terms of the deal were in place more than a year ago, according to an independent Israeli negotiator, and could have been agreed months ago.

Gershon Baskin, the architect of the negotiations that freed the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011, revealed on Thursday that Hamas had agreed the exact same terms of the deal in September 2024, in the last months of the Biden administration, but that Biden officials had disregarded it while Binyamin Netanyahu had refused point blank.”
From The Times…

The nominations for the Nobel prize winner needed to be made by the previous January so too late for Trump this year , leaving time to see what happens in the interim.
I also have some reservations, it’s a good start, but once the Israeli hostages are returned all hell could return to Gaza. I hope I am proved wrong.
As for the West Bank, their hell is increasing, it doesn’t appear to have been discussed as violent attacks and killings continue daily, rarely reported, while the IDF look on doing nothing to stop the settlers , then arresting the innocent farmers being attacked while protecting their homes and livestock while the settler attackers, sometime murderers, walk free.
Israel is breaking international law by encouraging this illegal theft of land. It needs addressing, but will that happen?

It should have been covered in this peace plan for the land grabbing in the West Bank to stop silverlining, if not in phase one then somewhere in the future.

How can Israel expect 'lasting peace' when some Israeli's continue to break international law by thieving, attacking and sometimes murdering Palestinians in the West Bank?

One step at a time.
Things can start improving more for Palestinians when the vile hamas leave Gaza or simply give up.

I agree Smileless something needs to be done about the violence on the West Bank and Palestinians pushed out of the farms that their families have worked on for hundreds of years.

Sad to be saying Allira, that in the article I read, possibly in The Guardian that Norway was preparing for an economic backlash. Apparently Trump was in touch before the reveal, to 'discuss' the win.

Give Trump his due, he has commented on the situation in the West Bank. Can't remember the details.

Oreo

One step at a time.
Things can start improving more for Palestinians when the vile hamas leave Gaza or simply give up.

And there will need to be a massive rebuilding effort too.

It was heartening to see some Gazan children on the news the other evening, looking healthy, playing and drawing pictures (sadly of a lovely house in green countryside) so there is hope for them. They were living in an empty building along with other families. I hope these children get the home and the peace they deserve before long.

For the surviving hostages, the future will be difficult, I think. They will be traumatised and need love, care and a lot of help if they are ever to get over their ordeal.

Maremia

Sad to be saying Allira, that in the article I read, possibly in The Guardian that Norway was preparing for an economic backlash. Apparently Trump was in touch before the reveal, to 'discuss' the win.

They need to tell him that when they see a lasting peace in the Middle East, when he sorts out Ukraine and looks to what is happening in the USA they'll think about it.

Of course, if there's an economic backlash that will scupper his chances!

Trump needs to get over himself. The woman who won the peace prize deserved it far more than he did. He actually hasn't as yet achieved peace and could have stepped in earlier between Gaza and Israel. He didn't stop the war in Ukraine in one day as promised either.

If I had achieved peace between Israel and Palestine but failed in Ukraine, I would think I was a genius.

No doubt one of his supporters will propose him next year. Just needs to remember to do it on time.
If peace does reign and he wins, loathe some man that he is, I will desist from criticism , and give him his due.

Galaxy

If I had achieved peace between Israel and Palestine but failed in Ukraine, I would think I was a genius.

He hasn't achieved it yet
Trump hasn't achieved peace yet.

Sorry a bit garbled. I have just been reading the list of hostages on the BBC website. It's very upsetting when you actually see them. I hope they are home soon.

Maremia

Sad to be saying Allira, that in the article I read, possibly in The Guardian that Norway was preparing for an economic backlash. Apparently Trump was in touch before the reveal, to 'discuss' the win.

Ooooh....to "discuss" the win indeed. Oh dear! I'd interpret that as trying to "threaten" his way into getting it. His ego is not going to be happy now.....

"Economic backlash" = surely not? That would be the ultimate definition of a bad loser - but I guess we shouldnt put it past Trump to try and retaliate...

Imagine the excitement of the hostages families! What a long weekend it is going to be but worth every second of the wait.

Utter sadness for those who will only receive their loved ones remains.

Just watching the BBC, 92% of homes in Gaza have been completely destroyed.

It will cost over 1 billion to rebuild.

Over 60k have been killed, but that is only the bodies that were buried, there will be many thousands more still under the rubble.

Apparently there are gangs roaming Gaza who are beginning to form fighting units and being funded by Israel😮.

But tonight and for at least the next 72 hours families are going to be able to sleep without fear. Let’s hope they will soon be fed. I am sure that the UN is already geared up to immediately provide the aid needed.

I wish with all my might that peace continues.

Whitewavemark2

Imagine the excitement of the hostages families! What a long weekend it is going to be but worth every second of the wait.

Utter sadness for those who will only receive their loved ones remains.

I would tend to think they will be devastated at the effect this has all had - both physically and emotionally - on their relatives. Obviously pleased to have them back again - but devastated at the effect this had all had on them.

In their position = I'd be after Netanyahu's blood - with the way he was warned/warned/warned again this was going to happen and not only did he not do anything about it - but "Israeli" troops also killed people at this.

I'd only be hanging around in the country for long enough for my relative to recover - at any rate physically - as much as was possible from this ordeal enough to be fit to move countries. Then we'd all leave Palestine and move to another country and never set foot in it again - rather than have my relative and myself constantly reminded of what had happened to them.

The combination of the betrayal by their own "government" and then the period in captivity would both be things I would be wanting us all to do our best to forget and recover from personally as far as possible. Some people never ever will recover mentally - even if they do so physically - and can end up living all the way through to a pretty advanced age and never ever get rid of PTSD from having been involved in a war.

I echo the hopes for peace and only wish I was more optimistic it would happen.

I am remembering now that a friend of mine looked up just how many conflicts are going on on Earth currently - and was shocked. From memory I think it was around 160!!!!! I'd thought it was 20 something conflicts and that was bad enough - but whew....

CariadAgain

Whitewavemark2

Imagine the excitement of the hostages families! What a long weekend it is going to be but worth every second of the wait.

Utter sadness for those who will only receive their loved ones remains.

I would tend to think they will be devastated at the effect this has all had - both physically and emotionally - on their relatives. Obviously pleased to have them back again - but devastated at the effect this had all had on them.

In their position = I'd be after Netanyahu's blood - with the way he was warned/warned/warned again this was going to happen and not only did he not do anything about it - but "Israeli" troops also killed people at this.

I'd only be hanging around in the country for long enough for my relative to recover - at any rate physically - as much as was possible from this ordeal enough to be fit to move countries. Then we'd all leave Palestine and move to another country and never set foot in it again - rather than have my relative and myself constantly reminded of what had happened to them.

The combination of the betrayal by their own "government" and then the period in captivity would both be things I would be wanting us all to do our best to forget and recover from personally as far as possible. Some people never ever will recover mentally - even if they do so physically - and can end up living all the way through to a pretty advanced age and never ever get rid of PTSD from having been involved in a war.

The hostages families felt let down by Netanyahu right from the beginning . I hope the world doesn’t forget the way he has behaved through all of this.

72 hours to release 20 live hostages.

1300 UN trucks ready with life saving stuff for the children. Try to meet the children’s basic needs.
Winter clothing and shoes for each child. Dear little souls😢
They are calling for all entrances to be opened.

Second phase should see the temporary body of technocrats to take over.

This war has scarred so many people on both sides, I really hope it is at an end. The hostages, the families of the hostages, the young people who have served in the IDF, the Gazan people who have lost their homes, their relatives, those who have been deprived of food, water shelter, medical services and any semblance of a normal life....... I truly hope people on both sides are able to rebuild their lives. IMO no one is a winner in this conflict, it's just so very sad.

I don't know? I can imagine if I was a teen, a boy or a girl and had seen many of my family wiped out how would I react?

Of course any sane person wishes the suffering to stop.