Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Pause, not peace: On the Hamas-Israel ceasefire agreement

Pause, not peace: On the Hamas-Israel ceasefire agreement

Donald Trump should play the honest broker, not a partisan (पक्षपातपूर्ण) patron

After two years of relentless (लगातार, निरंतर) Israeli bombardment, Palestinians in Gaza are finally getting a reprieve. The ceasefire (युद्धविराम) agreement, signed by Hamas and Israel as part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, brought a pause in Israel’s attacks. Hamas is expected to release all living hostages (बंधक) on Monday (October 13, 2025) and the bodies of the rest on the days after. Israeli troops have already started retreating (पीछे हटना, वापसी करना) to the initial withdrawal line, from Rafah in the south to Gaza City in the north along the border, and some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners will be released. Mr. Trump deserves credit for the ceasefire. Until recently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who always vowed to fight until “total victory”, resisted all calls for a ceasefire. When Israel started the Gaza war, after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, it pledged to “dismantle” the Islamist militant outfit. In two years, Israel has turned Gaza into rubble and displaced most of its 2.3 million people. Its brutal genocidal assault and starvation (भुखमरी) of Palestinians led to its international isolation. Yet, Hamas remained an unresolved problem. Mr. Netanyahu wanted to continue to fight irrespective of international public opinion. But the U.S., which continues to back Israel militarily and diplomatically, finally strong-armed Mr. Netanyahu into accepting the ceasefire in return for the release of hostages.

While the ceasefire is a major reprieve (A cancellation or postponement of a punishment; a temporary escape from an undesirable fate or unpleasant situation) for the Palestinians, the hostages and their families, it may not necessarily lead to lasting peace in Gaza. The ceasefire is only the initial phase of the Trump plan, which also calls for demilitarising Hamas, placing Gaza under an international governance body, and the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force for security. In its response to the Trump plan, Hamas agreed to release the hostages but remained non-committal on other terms. Another contentious (विवादास्पद) issue is the continuing presence of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza – after the initial withdrawal, the IDF will still control some 53% of Gaza. Mr. Trump is expected to travel to Egypt on Monday to attend a summit on Gaza — French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will be present. The renewed (नवीकरण करना) international attention on the Palestine question is a positive development. But the question is whether these deliberations (विचार-विमर्श) can bridge the gaps in the Israeli and Palestinian positions, leading to lasting peace. Hamas is unlikely to accept demands to dismantle (To take (a machine or structure) to pieces; to take apart) itself, certainly not after fighting Israeli forces for two years. But it could be pressured to relinquish (परित्याग करना) power in Gaza for a Palestinian authority, backed by international actors, while Israel should be persuaded to leave. For Mr. Trump’s hopes for lasting peace, he should act as an independent broker, not as a partisan patron of one country, and recognise Israel’s security and the Palestinian quest for self-determination.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Ceasefire (Noun)

Hindi Meaning – युद्धविराम
English Meaning – A temporary suspension of fighting, typically one during which peace talks take place; a truce.

2.Partisan (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning – पक्षपातपूर्ण
English Meaning – A strong, often uncritical, supporter of a party, cause, or person; prejudiced in favour of a particular cause.

3.Relentless (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning – लगातार, निरंतर
English Meaning – Unceasingly intense; constant and unrelenting; oppressively constant.

4.Retreat (Verb)

Hindi Meaning – पीछे हटना, वापसी करना
English Meaning – An act of moving back or withdrawing; a quiet, secluded place in which one can rest.

5.Starvation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning – भुखमरी
English Meaning – Suffering or death caused by lack of food; extreme hunger.

6.Hostage (Noun)

Hindi Meaning – बंधक
English Meaning – A person seized or held as security for the fulfilment of a condition.

7.Contentious (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning – विवादास्पद
English Meaning – Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial; involving heated argument.

8.Deliberation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning – विचार-विमर्श
English Meaning – Long and careful consideration or discussion; slow and careful movement or thought.

9.Relinquish (Verb)

Hindi Meaning – परित्याग करना
English Meaning – To voluntarily cease to keep or claim; to give up.

10.Renew (Verb)

Hindi Meaning – नवीकरण करना
English Meaning – To resume (an activity) after an interruption; to re-establish (a relationship); to extend the time period of (a license or contract).

11.Reprieve (Noun)

English Meaning – A cancellation or postponement of a punishment; a temporary escape from an undesirable fate or unpleasant situation.

12.Dismantle (Verb)

English Meaning – To take (a machine or structure) to pieces; to take apart.