Lasting Ceasefire in Gaza

By John Winkler

Going back 10 years ago to Aug. 2014 during the last war with Palestine, the ceasefire was called “Operation Protection Edge.”

An agreement was reached for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after much bloodshed. The terms included a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, all captives held by both sides to be freed and a technocratic Palestinian Government be installed.  (Technocratic meaning elected officials appointed experts and professionals to administer individual government functions).

Palestine’s goal is to be liberated and get away from the dominance of Israel. The Palestinian Authority which was ousted in 2007, claims that only 27% of the respondents selected Hamas as their preferred party. That leaves 73% of the people that are not in favor of Hamas to run their country.

The Palestinian Authority as well as Hamas is an authoritarian regime and has not held elections in over 15 years. There was supposed to be parliamentary and presidential elections last May and July of 2023. Hamas announced its intention to boycott local elections and has repeatedly prevented free, local elections since it first took power of Gaza in 2004. 

The United Nations need to step in and conduct elections even if it has problems, at lease there is hope for a better future.