Once again, images from the courtyard of the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza are being broadcast by international news channels. The hospital, which has been much in the news in recent months, is run by the Anglican EMS member church in Jerusalem. But this time the images are not of rocket explosions, but of young people streaming out into the open, their faces filled with relief. In the corner is the historic St. Philip’s Church, which has been converted into a hospital ward for months. There is the cancer diagnostics block on the upper floor, and the distinctive panels of the photovoltaic system. War damage is everywhere - but at least the hospital is standing on the evening of 15 January, when the Gaza ceasefire is announced in Qatar.

No, there is no cause for celebration. The devastation left by this war is too great. Entire neighbourhoods and infrastructure have been destroyed. Around three percent of the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip is no longer alive. An unprecedented number of children have had amputations, and a still unknown number of people have been severely traumatised. At the same time, Israeli society is more exhausted, divided and polarised than ever. Extremists dominate significant parts of Israeli politics and society. They boast about how many times they have prevented a ceasefire in recent weeks; they continue to spread fear among the Palestinian population in the West Bank. An economy still reeling from the war, with consumer prices long beyond the reach of many. An army that was unable to protect its own people from the massacres of 7 October, or to free a significant number of hostages afterwards. And then there are the hostages themselves: those who have been ruthlessly kidnapped and tortured by terrorists for fifteen long months. If they are released, will they ever be able to lead normal lives again?

The steps of the ceasefire agreement are more complicated than they might appear. They are spread over three long phases - and there is the possibility of failure at each stage. Above all, it is still completely unclear what the future of Gaza will look like.

No, there is no cause for celebration. But there is cause for relief. And perhaps also for the faint hope that Israelis and Palestinians will now have to find pragmatic solutions for living together. For it is clear that neither one nor the other will ever disappear from the land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan - not even as a result of terror and war. The day of the ceasefire is only the beginning of a long and arduous journey. A reconstruction plan, a war crimes investigation and prosecution accepted by all sides, a political solution - all these are now urgently needed. But above all, a huge amount of humanitarian aid is now needed to alleviate the worst of the suffering. This is an essential part of the ceasefire agreement. If it works, and if the agreement remains in force beyond its first phase, then there is real hope for peace.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. (Lamentations 3:22)

Dr Uwe Gräbe
Head of Unit Middle East
Executive Secretary EVS