I welcome the announcement of the agreement reached between the Palestinians and Israel, mediated by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and supported by the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt. 

The accord encompasses a ceasefire, the exchange of prisoners, and the immediate opening of humanitarian corridors into Gaza. It represents an essential first step toward halting the ongoing war of annihilation and safeguarding what remains of innocent civilian life.

Yet, while this development holds undeniable humanitarian importance, it must not be mistaken for a genuine peace unless it matures into one that is both just and enduring—one that brings a definitive end to the occupation, lifts the inhumane siege imposed on Gaza, and restores to the Palestinian people their full and inalienable national rights, foremost among them the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Justice cannot prevail so long as the occupation persists, war criminals remain beyond accountability, and the Palestinian people are denied their freedom and dignity.

Any agreement that fails to restore the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, that does not put an end to the war crimes and genocide in Gaza, and that does not pave the way toward the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, remains incomplete. Such an accord cannot be called just, nor can it embody the aspirations of a people who have endured generations of dispossession and suffering.

Nonetheless, I believe that this agreement—if accompanied by sincere intent and a collective recognition that there can be no lasting security, stability, or peace in the region without justice for the Palestinian people and freedom for Palestine—can serve as the threshold of a path toward a just and genuine peace.

Tawakkol Karman

The Nobel Peace Prize Laureate