AFTER months of dogged resistance, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has finally approved negotiations for a new ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu caved after taking a one-two punch from the United Nations Security Council and the International Court of Justice.

Voting 14 in favor to none against, the Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave for the month of Ramadan, the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and "the urgent need to expand the flow" of aid into Gaza.

Four days later, the UN's top court unanimously ruled that Israel must "take all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay ... the unhindered provision ... of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance" to Gaza.

The Security Council resolution must have stung more painfully for Netanyahu because the United States chose not to contest it by abstaining. Similar resolutions in the past failed after the US vetoed them, citing the lack of condemnation for Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel that left 1,139 people dead.

Netanyahu accused its closest ally of abandoning "its policy in the UN," in the process "harming both the war effort and the effort to release the hostages."

The Israeli leader had been unflinching in his declaration that the fighting in Gaza would end only when Hamas was crushed.

"Only total victory will allow us to restore security in Israel," Netanyahu said just last month after rejecting an offer by Hamas for a four-month ceasefire as "delusional."

The White House insists that the Security Council vote did not represent a shift in US policy but signaled a significant break between the Biden administration and the Israeli government.

The Palestinian ambassador to the UN welcomed the resolution as a belated "vote for humanity to prevail."

The ICJ ruling, meanwhile, put the pressure on Israel to allow the freer flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

"Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine, but... famine is setting in," it said.

Not surprisingly, Hamas is elated and said it was ready for a prisoner exchange with Israel, one of the key features of Resolution 2728.

Hamas seized 130 hostages during the October 7 raids, while Israel detains several hundred Palestinians it considers terrorists.

The prisoner swap will be brokered by the US, Egypt and Qatar, and will pave the way for a six-week truce.

Six months of fighting has left most of Gaza in ruins and pushed its people to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. More than 32,000 Palestinians are dead, thousands more are homeless, and UN agencies are warning that famine is imminent.

But beyond rescuing Gaza from its ordeal is the task of rebuilding the enclave. A massive reconstruction effort is required to replace housing, schools, hospitals, and water and energy infrastructure destroyed during the war.

A 10-year postwar plan with a $30-billion budget involving several Gulf Arab states, the United States and the European Union is said to be shaping up.

If called upon, the Philippines can provide medical and health workers and civil technocrats in the building of the new Gaza. It could be our way of showing gratitude to the Palestinian authorities who helped facilitate the repatriation of Filipinos in the besieged enclave.

But again, everything will depend on how fast Resolution 2728 is implemented. As it is, the situation on the ground is not promising. Fierce fighting is reportedly raging in Rafah, the border town that is the main access point for aid convoys from Egypt, and the southern city of Khan Younis.

Netanyahu must show his sincerity in abiding by the UN resolution by ordering Israeli troops to at least stand down in preparation for their eventual pullout.

Perhaps the biggest test for Netanyahu is accepting the role of Hamas in reshaping the future of Gaza. There are proposals to involve the Palestinian Authority in reestablishing Gaza's political structure, but Netanyahu is also wary of the PA.

This is the overriding issue that will have to be addressed once peace has been restored and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is resolved.

Read The Rest at :