A Fragile Peace: Will the Israel and Hamas Truce Last?

By Shenalyn Page | Posted January 28, 2025

Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas agreed to a temporary ceasefire in the beleaguered Gaza Strip on January 16. Mediated by U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian officials, the agreement went into effect on January 19. The fragile peace affords some relief after the heartbreaking devastation of 15 months of war. 

The ceasefire begins with a six-week agreement in which 33 Israeli hostages are to be returned in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian hostages. Thus far, Hamas has released four Israeli hostages, Israel has begun withdrawing its troops, and hundreds of thousands of Gazans are being allowed to return to their homes in Gaza.

The deal has also allowed humanitarian aid to pour into the devastated Gaza Strip. During the second six-week phase, Hamas is slated to release the male hostages, and Israel will withdraw fully from Gaza. The third six-week phase includes the return of deceased hostages and the beginning of reconstruction in Gaza.

Long Road to a Possible Peace

The current conflict between Israel and Palestine began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people. Israel responded with air and ground attacks, which decimated Gaza and killed thousands of Palestinians. Hezbollah, a militant Shiite militia backed by Iran and operating from Lebanon, also attacked Israel and has been counterattacked.

The first truce, a four-day agreement, came just six weeks after fighting began. During this brief lull in fighting, Hamas released 110 hostages, and Israel released 240 prisoners. Five months later, two proposed plans failed; Palestine agreed to the proposals, but Israel did not. Another peace attempt failed in November.

Trump’s Effect

There are likely three main reasons that Israel and Hamas finally agreed to a ceasefire. First, Israel has proved its military strength. Second, Hamas has been weakened by the war. Third, U.S. President Donald Trump has put pressure on both sides, especially Israel, to agree.

Most recently, Trump has called for Gaza to be “cleaned out,” suggesting that the Gazans could resettle for either the short or long term, and he called for Egypt and Jordan to accept refugees. Trump’s remarks come as a surprise and might upset the delicate treaty.

Will the Ceasefire Hold?

The ceasefire is fragile and could easily be broken by either the Israelis or Palestinians. Signs of potential failure appeared within days of the January 16 agreement, which Israeli statements often called a “framework.”

Four Israeli women were released on January 25, but Arbel Yehud, a civilian Israel says should have been released, was not among them. Israel accused Hamas of withholding a hostage and halted the flow of Gazans back to their homes in the north. 

With both Hamas and Israel accusing each other of failing to stick to their end of the bargain, many are wondering how well the ceasefire that took more than 15 months to reach will hold. “It is a very delicate matter,” Gershon Baskin, a former Israeli hostage negotiator, told CNN

History of Strife

The current conflict between Israel and Palestine is the latest in a millennia-long dispute between the sons of Abraham and their descendants. The Israelis are descended from Abraham’s son Isaac, while the Palestinians come from his older son Ishmael. Their animosity toward one another goes back to Ishmael’s banishment in favor of Isaac, the son of promise. 

The dispute continued when God brought Israel out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan. It flared up when Nehemiah rebuilt Jerusalem’s wall hundreds of years later. In recent times, the re-establishment of an Israeli state in the Middle East has opened old wounds and paved the way for the current war. It is a history littered with revenge, heartbreak, and broken promises. 

Is lasting peace even possible? 

A Symptom of the Bigger Battle

We should not be surprised that the peace between Israel and Hamas is so fragile. As Bible-believing Christians, we recognize that the inability of nations and their leaders to create lasting peace is a symptom of the larger controversy going on between Christ and Satan. 

Ever since Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, humanity has used Satan’s principles of coercion and control to manage groups of people. All earthly governments govern by the power of the sword, executing “wrath on him who practices evil” (Romans 13:4). When they use their power over their subjects wisely, it leads to peace and safety. However, there can be no lasting peace when nations seek to further their goals through manipulation, coercion, and aggression.

Christ’s New Kingdom

That’s why Jesus came to demonstrate the governing principles of heaven. Jesus blessed others—He healed the sick, preached deliverance, and loved the brokenhearted. The only power He exercised was the power of love. 

When Jesus stood before Pilate just before His crucifixion, He explained, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here” (John 18:36). 

Instead, Jesus came to establish a new kind of kingdom based on heaven’s selfless, loving principles, where each person seeks to bless and build up the other. These kinds of relationships should characterize the church and all our relationships. “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3, 4). 

The Promise of Peace

As long as we are in this world, we can expect that there will be war with all its unbearable weight of sadness. “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:7). There will be no complete ceasefire in their cosmic conflict until that great day when sin and Satan are destroyed forever in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). 

But that does not mean we need to despair. We can look forward to that wonderful day when Jesus returns in the clouds to set up “a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Daniel 2:44).

That kingdom is built on “better promises” (Hebrews 8:6). It is a kingdom where peace will reign and “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17). There, the ceasefire will last forever. 

Our Calling

The hope of heaven is desperately needed in our world today. Palestinians and Israelis need to hear it. Ukrainians and Russians need to hear it. Every hurting soul needs to know the Peace Giver today so they can look forward to the heavenly country where peace will reign forever.

That’s why God has called each of us to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Every follower of the Savior is called to be an evangelist—one who shares Christ. We may not be able to negotiate peace between Israel and Hamas, but we can demonstrate Jesus’ love and share the good news of God’s peace. 

Let us also pray earnestly for all those who are suffering so much from the Israeli-Palestinian war. Let us pray for healing, for the ceasefire to hold, for families to be reunited, and for rebuilding to happen. But let us also pray that the gospel will be preached in the Middle East so that every precious person there may have the true peace that Christ alone can give (John 14:27).  

Curious about Israel in prophecy? “War in Israel: Prophecy with Doug Batchelor” has the answers you are seeking. 

Shenalyn Page
Shenalyn Page is a homeschool mom and a writer for Amazing Facts International. She loves telling stories of God’s leading in people’s lives.
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