Ceasefire Phase Two
This past Saturday, March 1, Marco Rubio, invoking unspecified “emergency authorities”, bypassed congressional approval to send an additional 35,000 2,000-pound U.S. bombs to Israel, equating to $4 billion. Tack on the $8 billion that was approved in early February, and one wonders why (I mean, not really), in less than a month—during a supposed ceasefire—the U.S. government has armed Israel with $12 billion in weaponry, and (more importantly) what this means for Phase 2 of the three-pronged Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement. Since the deal went into effect on January 19, Israel has flagrantly violated the agreement hundreds of times over, effectively continuing its siege on Gaza.
Recently, the first six-week phase of the ceasefire ended—the same day Rubio pushed through his $4 billion arms package—on March 1. During these six weeks, Israeli forces blocked trucks from delivering promised essentials like fuel, materials for rebuilding hospitals, and mobile homes. They also kept up civilian attacks using deadly drones and gunfire in spite of the ceasefire, killing an additional 116 Palestinians and inuring 490, bringing the death toll to 48,388 with 111,803 wounded, according the Gaza Health Ministry.
Beit Lahiya, Gaza, February 18, 2025, 📸 Photo by Mahmoud İssa/Anadolu
Now in the middle of Phase 2 negotiations, Israel has forcibly closed Gaza’s crossings, intentionally cutting off humanitarian aid—carrying life-saving food, water, and medicine supplies—from reaching Palestinians, who have lost all means and infrastructure to source these necessities themselves in the wake of Israel’s total evisceration of the Gaza Strip. This backpedaling (also a crime against humanity) is seen as a bargaining ploy for Israel to alter the ceasefire terms.
Not surprisingly, Israel is trying to renege on the second phase it signed onto earlier this year, demanding either an extension of Phase 1 or creation of a totally new, intermediary Phase 1.5—whatever that looks like. Anything to prevent a permanent ceasefire. Anything to prevent relief and reconstruction for Gazans. Anything to prevent the end of Israeli occupation.
Washington D.C., October 21, 2023, 📸 Photo by Ali Khaligh/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images
Despite Israel’s blatant war crimes and countless violations of its ceasefire obligations—despite international protests, condemnations, filings, and rulings—the only thing Israel seems to have learned over the last 17 months (aka since 1948) is that it has carte blanche to do whatever and however it pleases. Israel has had zero material consequences for its ethnic cleansing campaign in Gaza and the West Bank. In fact, the only material “consequence” I can think of is the billions of dollars and weapons the U.S. has provided them with over the last 76 years.
Israel knows all the rest of the world can do is watch as it commits its heinously violent, frightening, unforgivable acts. And watch we will, knowing that one day, this all will change. Regardless of whatever contrived, punitive bullshit Israel and the U.S. finagle for Phase 2 or 3 or 1.5, it doesn’t matter. Because Palestine will be free. And we’ll be ready.