"But There was a Ceasefire on October 6"
Israel and Hamas agree to a ceasefire
In May 2021, after 11 days of fighting, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire. That round of fighting saw 232 Palestinians die and 12 Israelis.
The ceasefire brought an end to some of the deadliest fighting since 2014, which led to rampant devastation in Gaza and disrupted normal routines in Israel.
If you have been on social media at all over the last seven weeks you may have seen the talking point that “there was a ceasefire on October 6.”
This argument became so popular that it was even used by the former U.S. Secretary of State, and 2016 presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton.
This argument has been utilized to suggest that the ceasefire that was in place since 2021 was violated by Hamas on October 7, justifying the Israeli campaign in the Gaza Strip.
Except there is a problem with this argument. The problem is facts.
According to B’Tselem, in 2022 146 Palestinians were killed in the Occupied West Bank, 32 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, and 4 Palestinians were killed in Israel.
B’Tselem reported that 6 Israelis were killed in the West Bank and 11 killed in Israel.
According to the Washington Post, 2022 was the “deadliest year for West Bank Palestinians in nearly two decades.”
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between June 2022 and September 2023, 356 Palestinians were killed.
66 in the Gaza Strip, 5 in Israel, and 285 in the West Bank.
66 were boys, 7 were girls, 9 were women, 272 were men.
Between those same months, 39 Israelis were killed. 6 in Israel and 33 in the West Bank.
6 were Israeli forces and 33 were civilians including 18 settlers.
Of course, it is hard to say who broke the ceasefire first but as with previous conflict, the number of Palestinian deaths far outweigh the deaths of Israelis.
This gives credence to the argument that Israel responds disproportionately.
The “there was a ceasefire on October 6” argument implies that there were no deaths on either side between May 2021 and October 7, 2023, and that it was solely Hamas that broke it.
This is just untrue.
Furthermore, it has been used as a justification for Israel to not engage in another ceasefire with Hamas with the implication being that they will just break it again.
CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT
Despite this, a ceasefire has been agreed to for at least the next four days between Israel and Hamas.
According to Israel, four tankers carrying fuel and four carrying cooking gas crossed into the Gaza Strip from Egypt.
As part of the truce, Israel has granted permission for the daily delivery of 130,000 liters of fuel, though this remains a fraction of Gaza's daily requirement, which is estimated to exceed 1 million liters.
During the ceasefire, Hamas has committed to releasing a minimum of 50 out of approximately 240 hostages taken by the group and other militants on October 7.
Additionally, Hamas stated that Israel would release 150 Palestinian prisoners as part of the agreement.
Both sides have agreed to release women and children first.
Israel says the truce will be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed.
While the hostilities should have ceased, according to an Associated Press journalist the IDF shot two Palestinians dead and wounded 11 others.
The journalist says he saw the two bodies and the wounded as they arrived at a hospital in southern Gaza.
The injured had been shot in the legs as they attempted to return to their homes in northern Gaza.
The IDF had previously dropped leaflets on southern Gaza saying that returning to northern Gaza is prohibited and dangerous.
A rough start to the supposed “ceasefire,” to say the least.