Focus turns to lasting peace as ceasefire deal hailed

A ceasefire successful the Middle East is simply a welcome breakthrough, Australia’s premier curate says, but the adjacent steps to a lasting bid and betterment loom arsenic tougher prospects.

Israel’s authorities approved the US-brokered ceasefire connected Friday, with the statement to travel into effect within 24 hours.

Under the deal, Hamas will merchandise the remaining Israeli hostages it has been holding successful Gaza since October 7, 2023, and Israel will escaped astir 2000 Palestinian prisoners.

Credit for the breakthrough belonged to US President Donald Trump for his leadership, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.

“This has each been a effect of the planetary momentum for bid and, astir importantly, the US engagement led by President Trump,” Senator Wong told AAP successful Canberra.

She said Australia’s designation of Palestinian statehood astatine the United Nations General Assembly successful September contributed to planetary momentum for bid and Australia would proceed to work with overseas allies to guarantee the ceasefire remained successful spot and a two-state λύση could beryllium agreed to.

“Whilst we aren’t cardinal to the conflict, what we wanted to proceed to bash was to work with the planetary assemblage to propulsion for a ceasefire,” she said.

Federal Labor MP Josh Burns said the ceasefire created an accidental to reset and a accidental to rebuild κοινωνικά cohesion successful Australia aft months of tensions.

Photo: AMNA

“Everyone tin take a big, heavy enactment and we tin each look astatine each different and spot much humanity and hopefully not conscionable successful the Middle East, we person much peaceful days successful Australia,” the Jewish MP told the ABC.

“What’s truly important coming retired of this is that we spot each other’s pain, we admit it, and we respect it.”

Prominent Muslim assemblage person and GP Jamal Rifi said there was a consciousness of alleviation astatine the ceasefire.

“Communities person been under immense unit and close now, having a ceasefire that will extremity up with a bid … it will springiness a batch of avenue for some communities to travel together,” helium told ABC Radio.

What that whitethorn look similar remains unclear.

Australia and a clutch of different developed nations precocious took the step of formally recognising Palestinian statehood, gathering connected its long-held support for a two-state solution.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the ceasefire arsenic a welcome breakthrough which should advancement towards a Palestinian state.

“We person called for some clip for a ceasefire for the merchandise of hostages, to beryllium granted … we besides request to talk astir the time aft which requires a two-state solution,” helium said.

Australian National University Arab and Islamic studies lecturer Anas Iqtait is among galore experts who consciousness that imaginable is remote, fixed Israel’s long-held dismissal of Palestinian sovereignty.

“The two-state λύση is dead,” helium told AAP.

“Facts connected the crushed don’t support it. The Israeli bureaucracy doesn’t support it.”

The archetypal elements of the woody were apt to beryllium honoured but immoderate advancement beyond that was uncertain, Dr Iqtait said.

“Are we going to spot a imperishable extremity to the war? Are we going to spot Israel withdraw from the Gaza Strip? Are we going to spot the lifting of the humanitarian blockade that has been successful spot for a very agelong time?” helium asked.

“These are questions that stay to beryllium addressed.”

Source: AAP