The newly announced ceasefire in Gaza has brought a fragile sense of relief to a people who have endured one of the darkest chapters in modern history. After years of relentless bombardment, displacement, and deprivation, this pause offers a brief moment to breathe, but it must become far more than that. It must be the beginning of a transformation, not a temporary silence before more devastation.

For decades, Palestinians have lived under a system that denies them freedom, dignity, and security. The past two years turned Gaza into a graveyard of international law, where entire neighbourhoods vanished, hospitals were reduced to rubble, and families were wiped out in their sleep. Beyond Gaza, in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, expansion and dispossession continue, tearing at the heart of any future built on justice. To speak of peace without addressing these realities is to betray it before it begins.

This ceasefire, if honoured, could open the door to a genuine peace process rooted in equality and accountability. It must lead to the lifting of the blockade, the release of all political prisoners, and the full restoration of Palestinian rights under international law. The world must no longer turn away or offer hollow statements. True peace will only come when those responsible for years of collective punishment are held to account, and when Palestinians are finally free to decide their own future.