This week, the first phase of the Gaza peace deal. After Gaza peace deal, a spark of hope for Ukraine and Russia. Congolese government and M23 agree on body to monitor ceasefire.
The First Phase of the Israel-Gaza Peace Deal
After Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a peace deal proposed by US President Donald Trump, all 20 living hostages have been released from Gaza, and thousands of Palestinians have returned to Gaza. Israel also released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
However, the path to peace remains long and arduous, and several key issues have not been resolved. One of these issues is whether Hamas will disarm, and another is the extent of Israel’s troop withdrawal. As of October 16, Hamas had returned the remains of nine of 28 known deceased hostages, saying that these were all the deceased hostages the group could reach and that it would need specialist recovery equipment to retrieve the rest from Gaza’s ruins.
Meanwhile, the UN estimates that the damage in the Gaza strip amounts to US$7 billion. Jaco Cilliers, UN Development Programme special representative for the Palestinians, told BBC that Gaza’s destruction level is now “in the region of 84%. In certain parts of Gaza, like in Gaza City, it’s even up to 92%.”
Qatar’s prime minister said in an interview with The New York Times that the mediators who helped reach the ceasefire deal decided to delay talks on more difficult issues because the warring parties weren’t ready for a comprehensive agreement.
It remains to be seen what next steps Israelis and Palestinians will take in resolving the conflict and building peace.
After Gaza Peace Deal, a Spark of Hope for Ukraine and Russia
Following US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace deal, Trump has said that his next priority is peace between Ukraine and Russia. During a phone call, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Donald Trump to broker peace in Ukraine like in “the Middle East.”
During a pone call on October 11, Zelenskyy urged Trump to pressure the Kremlin into negotiations, saying, “If a war can be stopped in one region, then surely other wars can be stopped as well, including the Russian war,”
On October 14, the Kremlin said it welcomed Trump’s aim to focus on ending the fighting in Ukraine after achieving a ceasefire in Gaza.
Congolese Government and M23 Agree on Body to Monitor Ceasefire
On October 14, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the M23 armed group agreed to establish an international group to oversee the ceasefire they agreed to in July.
The body will include an equal number of representatives from the Congolese government and M23. It will also include representatives from the 12-country International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.
Congolese officials said the deal was signed in Doha after mediation by Qatar, DW reported. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry described the deal as a “pivotal step” toward a comprehensive peace agreement in eastern DRC, saying the body will “investigate and verify reported violations … and communicate with relevant parties to prevent a resumption of hostilities.”
The ceasefire so far has not been upheld, and since June, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has recorded around 1,087 civilians killed during violence in Ituri and North Kivu.
Keywords: Israel, Palestine, Gaza, Ukraine, Russia, Congo, DRC, Congolese, peace, conflict, conflict resolution
Tara Abhasakun
Tara Abhasakun is Peace News Network (PNN)'s managing editor. She is journalist based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and formerly in Bangkok, Thailand. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
