Even as a ceasefire in Gaza appears imminent, the road to a stable, post-war future for the territory remains long and uncertain, with a senior US official admitting there are “a lot of details to be worked out.”
While the deal to exchange hostages for a military pullback is “90 per cent done,” the plan for what comes next is in its infancy. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Hamas has only agreed “in principle and generalities” to discuss the future, indicating that the most difficult negotiations are yet to come.
This uncertainty stands in sharp contrast to the clear, transactional nature of the ceasefire itself. The immediate steps are well-defined, but the long-term vision is a sketch waiting to be filled in. This gap between the present and the future is the deal’s greatest vulnerability.
President Donald Trump has attempted to force the issue with his demand that Hamas cede power, but this is a unilateral condition, not a mutually agreed-upon outcome. The potential for a future clash over the governance of Gaza is therefore extremely high.
For now, the world celebrates the potential end of a two-year war. However, the cautious words of diplomats remind us that achieving a ceasefire is only the first step. Building a lasting peace from the ruins will be a far longer and more complex challenge.