Lorenzo Maria Pacini
Trump's elusive peace deal was an excellent ploy to quietly continue with the final occupation plan.
Bomb after bomb
There is no peace for Gaza. Trump's elusive peace plan - or should we say his gigantic real estate plan to make money off the suffering of the people ? - was an excellent ploy to quietly continue with the final occupation plan.
The occupation has convinced international public opinion that the violence in Gaza has ceased, when in reality entire families continue to be wiped out in total silence. The world remains silent, perhaps only because something called a "truce" has been proclaimed, an excellent move of infowarfare.
What cannot be seen from the outside is that, day after day, the Israeli army is expanding its grip on the territory of Gaza. It advances slowly, taking over a street, then a neighborhood, then entire areas-silently redrawing the map while the international community celebrates a fictitious calm. The war is not over; it has simply taken on another form: from bombing to silent expansion, from air strikes to creeping occupation.
At the same time, the world fails to notice that a false appearance of normality is being constructed in Gaza: sweets, chocolate, and electronic goods enter freely, as if people wanted the superfluous, while basic goods such as meat, eggs, and medicines are systematically blocked.
The most basic necessities have become rare and precious commodities, and when they do appear, they are sold at unsustainable prices. Traders raise the prices of essentials-medicines, meat-because availability is minimal. Israel continues to deceive the world, and the world continues to be easily deceived. Meanwhile, bombs continue to fall, leaving Gazans in a state of endless war, not only conventional but also psychological, because anything can happen at any time. And this has been "normal" for them for decades.
Israel uses a well-known strategy, tried and tested over the years: it violates the ceasefire, bombs as it pleases, then announces the return of the truce. A unilateral, violent and unpunished act. This now recognizable pattern has a devastating effect on Palestinian communities and constitutes a clear abuse of international humanitarian law.
According to the rules of war, a truce should represent an effective and verifiable suspension of hostilities, aimed at protecting civilians, allowing humanitarian aid to enter, and preventing further loss of life. However, Israel's interpretation of the term seems to be purely instrumental. Every time the army conducts "targeted operations" during the truce-striking densely populated neighborhoods, advancing with armored vehicles, or shifting the boundaries of controlled areas-the truce is effectively violated. Yet, at the end of the attacks, it is announced that the ceasefire has 'returned' or "remains in force," as if nothing had happened.
This dynamic renders the very notion of a truce meaningless and undermines the foundations of international humanitarian law, which requires good faith, transparency, and respect for agreed conditions. Declaring the return of the truce after repeatedly breaking it is not only a formal violation, but a strategy that allows the occupation to operate with total impunity, while the international community remains paralyzed by ambiguous and contradictory narratives.
And it is precisely in the realm of narrative that infowarfare comes into play. Presenting bombings and advances as "limited incidents," claiming that the truce is still in force despite the explosions, and spreading the idea that the situation is under control serves to construct a distorted image of reality. The goal is twofold: on the one hand, to avoid international pressure and formal accusations of violating the truce; on the other, to shape global perception, pushing the media and governments to see stability where destruction reigns.
This manipulation of information is not an accessory element, but an integral part of military strategy. Infowarfare allows operations on the ground to continue while maintaining an acceptable diplomatic appearance. In this way, the use of the truce becomes a narrative tool rather than a mechanism for protecting civilians. This is where the most serious abuse occurs: the transformation of the language of humanitarian law into a rhetorical weapon that masks violence rather than limiting it.
No negotiations possible
Hamas had already declared last September that it would not begin talks on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement as long as Israel continued to violate the first part of the agreement.
The occupation has failed to comply with any of its fundamental obligations in the initial phase: it is keeping the Rafah crossing closed, preventing the entry of tents and housing containers, drastically reducing humanitarian aid, and continuing killings and demolitions within the so-called yellow line. This behavior represents a continuation of the aggression that should have ceased immediately with the entry into force of the agreement, and which continues without any real compliance.
For Hamas representatives, any discussion of the second phase depends on effective pressure on the occupation by mediators and the United States to ensure that the commitments made in the first phase are fully respected.
In the initial phase of the agreement, the Israeli army withdrew to what is now called the "yellow line." The agreement provides that Israeli forces may maintain a perimeter presence in Gaza until the resistance is completely disarmed, with a gradual withdrawal based on progress in the process. The Israeli army has crossed the yellow line in an attempt to occupy further territory, violating the agreement itself. And this is happening continuously because Israel is interested in continuing the occupation and expropriation of Palestinian land, with or without a peace agreement.
Recent statements by Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who during a visit to Gaza on December 7 called the yellow line "the new border line," are a clear denial of Israel's honest intentions. A week ago, Israel also announced the imminent reopening of the Rafah crossing in coordination with Egypt, but Cairo denied this and specified that any opening should take place on both sides, while Tel Aviv continues to prevent Palestinians from returning from Egyptian territory.
Since the beginning of the ceasefire, Israel has maintained severe restrictions on the amount of humanitarian aid destined for Gaza. At the beginning of last month, Tel Aviv had authorized only 28 percent of the aid provided for in the agreement, including essential tools for removing rubble.
According to the United Nations Development Programme, an estimated 68 million tons of rubble have been generated in Gaza by the Israeli offensive and the systematic destruction of infrastructure, with an estimated 5 to 7 years needed to clear the territory of debris.
According to Donald Trump's plan, phase two should begin by Christmas and involves the deployment of an International Security Force (ISF) composed of countries from the region. Turkey, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, and Pakistan have expressed their willingness to contribute military contingents. However, the plan assigns the ISF the task of disarming and dismantling Hamas and other resistance factions, a proposal that has sparked strong discontent in several countries.
For its part, Hamas rejects the idea of disarmament unless Israel commits to a political path towards a Palestinian state and provides guarantees that hostilities will not resume. On December 8, Hamas leader Bassem Naim said the movement was ready to "immediately" transfer responsibilities to the Palestinian technical government envisaged in Trump's plan, adding that a process of laying down arms could begin in the context of a long-term truce of five or ten years. It is a smart response: only the guarantee of a process of establishing a new Palestinian state and a smooth handover would provide assurances that the process would be fair.
However, Israel has categorically rejected any possibility of a Palestinian state and also opposes the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza, another central element of the US plan. This is further confirmation that Israel's only real desire is to carry out its diabolical plan.
No real negotiations, then. Only the coercion of a bullying oppressor against a defenseless people, but a people of heroes who have no intention of surrendering.