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Gaza today is not merely a besieged city on the shores of the Mediterranean, but a symbol of suffering spanning decades of occupation, blockade, and repeated wars. For many long years its people have lived under suffocating restrictions: closed crossings, a paralyzed economy, and a blocked horizon. The children of Gaza recognize the sound of warplanes before they recognize the sounds of toys, and they grow up among ruins before tasting the innocence of childhood.

Oct. 7, 2023, marked a turning point — an ill-considered attack by Hamas to which Israel responded with a devastating war machine, unleashing a relentless bombardment that spared neither homes, nor schools, nor hospitals. Thousands were killed and wounded, families were displaced from their homes, and dreams were buried under the rubble. Israel’s response was harsh, indiscriminate, and reflected a mentality of collective punishment that overstepped all limits of international law and humanitarian principles.

As the humanitarian catastrophe deepened, the international community intensified its efforts to rein in this madness. Statements, appeals, conferences, meetings, and mediations followed one after another, but the killing machine only halted recently. The US played a pivotal role in pressing for de-escalation, especially following President Donald Trump’s meeting with leaders of several member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Hamas, for its part, expressed its acceptance of a ceasefire within the framework of the proposed initiative. Here, the ceasefire emerges as a vital step — not only to stop the spilling of Palestinian blood but also to open a window of hope that restores to civilians something of their natural right to safety and life.

Yet the truth is that a ceasefire, however urgently needed, is not a final solution. The people of Palestine — in Gaza, the West Bank, and everywhere — need more than a temporary truce; they need a comprehensive and just peace that restores their dignity and grants their children the right to live like all other peoples of the world.

Only a just peace can lift Gaza from beneath the ruins, restore life to its people, and open a new horizon for the entire region toward shared security, dignity, and peace. 

Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama

What follows the ceasefire and the implementation of the initiative’s terms must be nothing less than the beginning of a broader path. The road to rescue begins with the recognition that security cannot be achieved through force, and that stability cannot be built on rubble. The solution lies in ending the occupation, lifting the blockade, and enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination in an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

In this context, President Trump’s latest declaration stands out. He stated unequivocally: “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.” This reflects a growing realization that no genuine peace can be based on the imposition of facts on the ground, but rather on respect for international law and the rights of the Palestinian people.

Recognition of the State of Palestine in line with international resolutions is the genuine gateway to ending the conflict and the two-state solution is the only realistic and viable path to a comprehensive and just peace. This is not only in the interest of the Palestinians, but also of the Israelis, for a just peace guarantees that the people of Israel can also live in security and stability, free from the endless cycle of war.

Only a just peace can lift Gaza from beneath the ruins, restore life to its people, and open a new horizon for the entire region toward shared security, dignity, and peace.

• Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama is Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in the Kingdom of ��������. X: @dya_bamakhrama