Despite the promise of a ceasefire this January, Israel continues to murder civilians in Gaza. (Photo: Ahmed Abu Hameeda)
Early this year, on January 19, when Israel finally agreed to a ceasefire, after months of death and destruction, multiple negotiations, and the same deal proposed by Hamas, over half a million Palestinians returned to their homes that had been reduced to rubble, with fireworks and celebrations erupted across the Gaza Strip.
Gazans celebrated what felt like a moment of respite and an end to Israel’s mass slaughter. This brief moment of joy was quickly eliminated as Israel refocused its militarized attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. Scenes erupted as Israeli military forces launched a major offensive in the city of Jenin, destroying homes and infrastructure, as well as vital resources such as electricity and water, and forcibly displacing thousands.
These actions are no surprise to Palestinians, who have long witnessed Israel breaking ceasefire negotiations while murdering them with hardly any repercussions. Following the announcement of the ceasefire, brokered by the US, Qatar, and Egypt, Israel broke the agreement 962 times, according to Palestinian officials.
Following that, Israel then proceeded to resume its genocide in Gaza, expectedly breaking the ceasefire deal as it always does.
Palestinian Americans have experienced a wide range of emotions since the genocide started. Many are overwhelmed with feelings of survivor’s guilt, watching the deaths and destruction of their families and homes from thousands of miles away, while also dealing with their challenges in the United States.
I asked what the most prevalent emotion is right now in the Palestinian community since the breach of the ceasefire. Danna Younis, a Palestinian student and professor at San Diego University says, “I feel a lot of rage.”
A Palestinian creative who preferred to remain anonymous shared that they felt “despair, disappointment, [and] some sort of desperation to see a solution.”
Now as the world again grows numb to the images pouring out of Gaza, the momentum has slowed down and shifted focus. Many non-Palestinians began overlooking the new suffering we are witnessing, and seem to believe a short-lived ceasefire was enough.
“The day that they announced the ceasefire, they killed over 70 Palestinians,” says JamalEdeen, a Palestinian American living in LA said. “How do we as Palestinians take these occupiers for their word? When we have three, four generations that have succumbed to their lies.”
A Palestinian American member of the United States Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) agreed, saying, “I don’t know a single Palestinian who expected Israel to break with tradition and uphold their end of a ceasefire, especially after demolishing Gaza with impunity for 16 months.”
The mental and emotional world of Palestinian Americans has been drastically impacted. “It really polarized me against other people in a subconscious way,” shares Hanna, a Palestinian American. “So people who haven’t been posting or talking, I’ve been looking at them differently.”
Images of destruction and death are a daily reminder of what Gazans have been facing before and after the ceasefire deal in January. (Photo: Mohammed Ibrahim)
This cycle of violence that Palestinians have endured for 76 years and counting is intended to extinguish all of our hope and determination. But it hasn’t.
“Determination is in our blood, it’s in our DNA,” says Younis. “My son always says that perseverance is a part of the Palestinian DNA.”
For decades, the Israeli colonization of Palestine was considered a taboo topic in America, a subject many would avoid, gloss over, or rarely discuss due to its falsely perceived complexity as well as the tense reactions and consequences it provokes.
JamalEdeen reflects, “When October 7 happened, I went through, I think, every emotion that you could think of. It was something I thought I would never see in my lifetime and something I was also afraid of at the same time.”
Many Palestinians who’ve witnessed allyship and international support for the past 20 months say that this is something very new. “I’ve been really surprised by how much people care because I’m so used to people not caring,” says Hanna.
Now that the ceasefire has been broken, Palestinian Americans have expressed what they feel are the most crucial next steps necessary for our liberation. It is abundantly clear that our urgent calls to action have not prevented the continued bloodshed, as the slaughter has risen exponentially, particularly in the past month, and Israel continues enforcing a manmade famine and preventing any aid from entering Gaza.
Is political advocacy still a strong tactic when it comes to Palestinian liberation? This concern is especially prevalent with growing attacks on freedom of speech and threats of deportation against individuals speaking out against Israeli war crimes.
“I have been calling for civil disobedience for years now,” says Younis. “We need a collective: everyone that cares, everyone who’s been protesting, needs to actually do something that might sound outrageous unless we collectively do it, which is not to pay taxes. We cannot pay taxes anymore to a country that takes our tax money and funds genocide.”
Since the ceasefire was broken in March, Palestinians in the US and across the world are urging their allies to continue to push even harder now for liberation. A ceasefire is the bare minimum.
“The one thing that’s clear to me that doesn’t work is talking to your representatives,” says Hanna. “I think that’s the biggest fraud or scam that we’ve all been sold, that there’s representative democracy.”
Over 400 million emails demanding a ceasefire and over 12,000 Palestine demonstrations have occurred across the US since October 7, 2023.
Recent reports suggest that support for Palestine is increasing. International support has skyrocketed, and many young Americans want to understand what next initiatives must be taken place as the genocide continues.
“For folks who aren’t there yet, join the mask of Maersk and #BoycottChevron campaign,” suggests a member of USCPR. “Join a union. Boycott everything. Befriend someone in Gaza and fundraise for them. Dust off your keffiyeh and wear it boldly. Palestinians haven’t taken theirs off and we’re a target.”
Younis adds, “We need to follow the steps of the Black Panther movement and find ways where we can have our own schooling, while educating our youth and protecting ourselves.”
Another Palestinian American spoke to the importance of recognizing how struggles are interconnected, saying, “Something we’ve learned over the last few years is that both administrations don’t have our best interest at heart, including other vulnerable groups, such as the LGBTQ community…we can all fight for a common goal, which is freedom for all.”
It is no secret that Zionism is deeply embedded into the framework of the United States. This, in turn, has silenced many Palestinian Americans, making them feel ostracized and directly targeting their safety.
Since breaking the ceasefire, Israel has killed over 5,000 Palestinians. But the fight for liberation remains steadfast. Palestine will rise.
