ARDD welcomes the beginning of a ceasefire in Gaza as a glimmer of hope in a sea of wrath. This ceasefire, if implemented, represents a necessary step towards the freedom of Palestine and the dismantling of colonial oppression.

What numbers will never be able to capture is the profound human experience and the intergenerational trauma borne by those who will live: the grief over the irreplaceable breaths extinguished, shattered limbs, the warmth of homes turned to ash, the children's smiles stolen forever, and the relentless cycles of uprooting that have deepened the severance of Palestinians from their homeland. Fifteen months of sleepless nights in makeshift tents, with the pitch-black darkness pierced only by bombs’ flames and screams, and the incessant hum of combat drones dictating the rhythm of days and seasons, have vaporized memories and dreams, and suspended life between quick and slow death.

The ceasefire offers a long-overdue reprieve—a vital space to mourn the smiles forever lost to colonial violence, and to grieve for the shattered homes and life plans painstakingly built for their children, families, and future. It finally grants Palestinians the opportunity to process, seek out missing loved ones, bury them with dignity, and honor the countless precious moments shared with those who have been brutely taken away. For the imprisoned, it promises a return to the light of day, a life unguarded by jailers, free from roll calls, and the torment of sleep deprivation, starvation, and torture. The Palestinian prisoners will once again taste freedom—embracing the fresh air and the long-awaited touch of their loved ones. Beyond all else, the ceasefire is the first step to rebuilding, renewing strength, and continuing the unwavering struggle toward a free Palestine.

In nearly 500 days, the colonization authority has ravaged the 365 square kilometers of Palestine, waging a calculated campaign to obliterate Palestinian existence in Gaza. Fifteen months of relentless bombardment and shelling have created an unquantifiable magnitude of casualties: colonial forces have killed between 47,000 to at least 389,000 Palestinians and wounded–mostly with life-changing injuries– between 110,012 and 221,760. A labyrinth of chaotic, contradictory orders has ensnared the entire population of Gaza, trapping them beneath relentless bombardment and forced displacement. This unfolded amidst a man-made famine, fuelled by Israel's escalation of its 16-year-long blockade and deliberate attacks on UNRWA's facilities and mandate. This onslaught has targeted every facet of life in Gaza, from civil servants and doctors to media workers, children, women, and men, fathers, mothers, and grandparents, as well as engineers, teachers and professors, artists, and students, with entire families wiped out of history’s record.

Painfully reminiscent of the Nakba, every place that held the records of lives, the remnants, and the deep-rooted traces of Palestinian heritage has been deliberately reduced to rubble. The wholesale destruction has reached 92% of homes, 88% of educational facilities including all universities, and decimated 80% of commercial facilities, 68% of road networks, 68% of cropland, 52% of agricultural wells, and 44% of greenhouses, 72% of fishing fleet destroyed, all healthcare facilities leaving only 50% of hospitals partially functional, while 95% of the kettle has been killed. Meanwhile, a sweeping campaign of mass arrests has seized at least 4,000 Palestinians from Gaza, consigning them to lethal torture chambers—many of whose fates remain shrouded in uncertainty.

As colonial officials relentlessly reaffirm their grim pledges, those who escaped death or arbitrary detention find themselves in a poisoned environment unfit for life. They are surrounded by over 40 million tons of debris, including unexploded ordnance and human remains, 140 temporary waste sites, and 340,000 tons of waste, with untreated wastewater and overflowing sewage choking what little remains of their homeland.

ARDD salutes the steadfast Palestinians in Gaza, who have defied the goals of their colonizer: Gaza has not been cleansed of her Indigenous inhabitants, it has not been taken over and capsized to welcome foreign settlers, and the Palestinian cause has not been erased by the agenda of popular movements and the international community but continues to inspire Indigenous struggles worldwide. 

The terms of the ceasefire serve as a testament to the growing fragility of colonial oppression, and the vulnerability of systems of dispossession and apartheid worldwide. However, we must not revert to the untenable status quo of October 6, 2023. For over 76 years, Palestine has been subjected to a relentless, creeping colonial occupation that has systematically disenfranchised her people and denied their right to return to their homeland. The colonial authority has been increasingly besieging Gaza since 1948, with at least 12 major offensives waged against it until 2023, compounded by suffocating bureaucratic, economic, physical, and digital barriers erected throughout the 1990s, 2005, and 2007. Therefore, ARDD calls on the international community to take immediate and concrete actions to address the root causes of this long-lasting injustice. Specifically, we demand: 

1. The full implementation of the ceasefire that enters into force today, ensuring its terms are respected without delay and permanently.
2. The pursuit of accountability for international crimes, including genocide and crimes against humanity, committed by Israel and complicit powers.
3. Implementing boycotts, divestments, and sanctions (BDS) campaigns to end colonial occupation, apartheid, and genocide in line with international law and UN resolutions. 
4. The commitment to sustain the Palestinian people in their efforts to rebuild Gaza.
5. The return of all Palestinians outside of Palestine, whose inalienable right of return has remained in abeyance for far too long.
6. The release of all 10,400 Palestinian political prisoners, with guarantees of non-re-imprisonment, and the bodies of all martyrs.
7. The autonomous unity of governance of Gaza with the rest of Palestine according to the will and wishes of Palestinians.

These actions are not only essential to upholding the ceasefire but also to ensure that peace in Palestine premised on the presence of justice and not the mere absence of violence is realized. The ceasefire is just a step towards the realization of Palestinians’ right to live freely beyond survival without the constant fear of death and displacement hanging on their heads, to have independent control over their political formation, and to regain sovereignty over their natural resources. Anything short of this will never bring about lasting peace. 

We at ARDD commend the tireless efforts of all those advocating for the Question of Palestine and express deep gratitude to our Global Network—including officials, donors, civil society organizations, media personnel, and our colleague UN Special Rapporteur oPt Francesca Albanese—for their steadfast support and continued commitment. 

We also recognize UNRWA’s vital role in providing critical relief to Palestinians. As this ongoing journey continues, we take pride in the strength and resilience of the Palestinian people, whose unwavering hope inspires us to persevere.

We deeply appreciate the global grassroots movement that has relentlessly mobilized in unwavering solidarity with Palestine and her people, and we recognize their role in bringing about this much-awaited victory.

ARDD reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the Palestinian cause and the global struggle for justice. The announcement of the ceasefire must not be a fleeting pause but a decisive step toward ending the oppression and colonialism that continue to inflict suffering worldwide. We stand in solidarity with the steadfast Palestinians and urge the international community to act decisively, translating words into meaningful, sustained efforts. Only through justice can permanent peace and freedom be achieved.