Is it truly worth calling a ceasefire while one side continues to fire in order to maintain its unlawful occupation and genocide? It is claimed that the Israelis have murdered over 200 Palestinians and broken the ceasefire hundreds of times since it went into effect on October 10 in an attempt to bring peace to the Gaza Strip. At least three Palestinians were killed by Israel on Monday for reportedly crossing the yellow line, which designates areas that the army still occupies, adding to the horrific total. The Israeli troops assert this. However, why are Israeli forces still in Gaza, controlling the movement of Palestinians?

A resolution demanding an end to its illegal occupation was voted by the UN General Assembly more than a year ago. When will Israeli soldiers be forced to abide by international law and leave the Gaza Strip, or will their continued presence there become the new normal? The seven major Muslim nations that gathered in Istanbul on Monday, however, are unmistakably opposed to the latter result. Following a summit in Istanbul with the top diplomats and foreign ministers of Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Indonesia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, the Muslim nations declared that any new system of tutelage must be avoided and that Gaza’s destiny must be led by the Palestinians. Following the discussion, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement endorsing the idea that Palestinians should rule themselves, stating that “leaders jointly called for urgent humanitarian aid for the Palestinians, condemned Israeli ceasefire violations, demanded Israel’s withdrawal from the Occupied Palestinian Territory and emphasised the rebuilding of Gaza.” Israel must follow the ceasefire, according to a previous declaration made after Foreign Minister Dar spoke with his Turkish counterpart outside of the main meeting. In light of what Israel is doing, the Muslim nations are right to push for Palestinian autonomy and sovereignty. However, as with everything related to Israel, the key question is whether the US and the Zionist state’s other Western allies will have the courage to force it to act morally. The Turkish foreign minister clarified that any “International Stabilisation Force” that would ostensibly oversee the Gaza truce under Trump’s plan must have a “mandate defined by a UN Security Council resolution and a framework for legitimacy.” 

We must move beyond cycles of violence and political inertia. The path to a just resolution demands an immediate halt to all settlement expansion, an end to the occupation, and a commitment to international law. Palestine must be free not as a matter of charity, but as a necessary act of justice. Only then can genuine security and co-existence flourish for everyone in the region. The time for meaningful action is now.