Ceasefire in Gaza and the road ahead

by Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC)

After 465 days of Israel’s genocidal campaign, a ceasefire in Gaza has been confirmed. Israel’s violence has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians, including more than 17,500 children, and displaced 90% of Gaza’s population. Gaza’s infrastructure – schools, universities, mosques and churches, and hospitals – has been systematically devastated.

Yet Gaza still lives. Despite bombings, injuries, famine and disease, Palestinians remain unbroken. Palestinians in Gaza and worldwide are united, proving that no amount of violence, displacement or occupation can erase a people. While the ceasefire brings a temporary reprieve, the future remains uncertain. Palestinians may now begin rebuilding their homes, and return to their lands, but the scars of the genocide will linger. Our resolve to achieve our collective liberation has only strengthened.

The genocide in Gaza has forever altered our region and the world. From Palestine, to Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and beyond, Israeli aggression has inflicted unimaginable suffering. Israeli and the US standing on the world stage has been forever tarnished, their role cemented as architects of a new dystopian era of high tech horrors and unaccountable violence.

This catastrophe was not inevitable. The ceasefire deal is nearly identical to the proposal presented by President Biden last May. A US arms embargo on Israel would have stopped the carnage and saved countless lives, while producing a similar political outcome. Instead, the US government actively supported Israel’s fascist policies, whitewashing its crimes while providing the weapons that fueled its war. Now, amidst the wreckage, the world recognizes the unyielding steadfastness of Palestinians and the global movement for Palestinian freedom.

Through this struggle, we have built one of the most consequential movements in US history. This movement has stood up to repression, amplified the voices of the oppressed, and reshaped public discourse. It has inspired millions across the globe and offered a vision for how to fight fascism, imperialism, and systemic violence. The solidarity forged here provides the US and the world with a vision for a path forward — a reminder that resistance, rooted in justice and collective action, can overcome even the most entrenched systems of oppression.

This is also a moment to intensify our organizing. As this movement grows, it continues to face relentless attacks from right-wing forces and state repression. These efforts aim to delegitimize and suppress calls for Palestinian liberation and all voices for justice. We must remain vigilant and defend our movement from these threats, ensuring it remains a powerful force for change in the face of adversity.

We must continue to mobilize, speak out and pressure decision-makers to follow the lead of the majority of people in the US and across the world who support Palestinian freedom. As we mark this ceasefire, it is time to redouble our efforts with clear demands:

• Ensure the ceasefire remains permanent.
• Demand that Israel withdraw its military from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and all occupied lands.
• Guarantee unrestricted aid and reconstruction for Gaza. 
• Hold Israel accountable for its crimes against humanity.

After 16 long months of organizing, protesting and grieving, this ceasefire grants us all an opportunity to pause and reflect on how far we’ve come, and how much further we still have to go. The fight continues for a world free of war, fascism, racism, colonialism and exploitation. No matter the horrors inflicted upon our people, we will continue to fight for it. And we will win.

AROC’s mission: “We organize to fight for racial and economic justice and the dignity and liberation of our Arab, and Muslim communities. We work towards the self-determination of our people under attack in Palestine, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and across the entire SWANA (South West Asia and and North African) region with the same breath that we fight for our freedoms here in the United States. We see our struggles here as a domestic manifestation of global militarism and racial capitalism, and as the root causes of the political, social and economic instability of our homelands. In that spirit, we see the liberation of our people as inextricably tied to the liberation of all oppressed people.” Visit AROC at https://aroc.herokuapp.com/. 

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