A ceasefire is a suspension of hostilities in an international armed conflict. The terms of a ceasefire are agreed upon by the parties involved in the conflict, including the timing and scope (land, air, or sea) of the cessation of hostilities. Instructions are then given down the chain of military command to execute the cessation of hostilities and monitoring arrangements can be put in place to check compliance. The term “ceasefire” is also used to describe a period of negotiations between the parties in an effort to resolve their underlying conflict, such as a peace process.
The ceasefire agreement in Gaza has many details to work out, including the definition of prohibited acts; identification and definition of armed forces; separation of armed forces (including delineation of ceasefire lines and buffer zones); verification, supervision, and monitoring; repatriation of prisoners of war; return of missing internally displaced persons and refugees; compensation for claims; and war crimes issues. The US, Egypt, and Qatar, which spent months brokering the ceasefire, are expected to intensify efforts to implement its terms.
The success of the truce depends on how Israel treats the Palestinians after its withdrawal and on whether Hamas accepts Israeli demands in the second phase. But there are serious sticking points: Israel’s refusal to release prisoners could jeopardize the first phase, and it has said that it may resume attacks if its military goals are not achieved. And there is still disagreement over the second phase, which requires that Hamas agree to relinquish its military capabilities in exchange for allowing Israel to rebuild Gaza’s ruined infrastructure and reintegrate the country into global society.