On Ceasefire and Sumud

24 November 2023

We, the editorial team of The Sunday Paper, call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

We see the ‘humanitarian pause’ for what it is: merely a pause in the occupation’s ongoing genocidal bombardment of Gaza.

An immediate and unconditional ceasefire is the unified demand from Palestinians in Gaza, Palestinian civil society organisations, medical teams and advocacy groups.

In Palestine, a term that is often used is تعزيز الصمود ta3ziz al sumud. This term describes acts of making it easier for people to practise صمود sumud – steadfastness.

An immediate ceasefire is a form of تعزيزالصمود ta3ziz al sumud – it will enable the people of Gaza to rebuild schools, universities, hospitals, neighbourhoods, playgrounds, mosques and churches – components of a dignified life that will enable them to carry the Palestinian liberation struggle forward.

We also understand that the call for an unconditional ceasefire is not only a humanitarian demand – it is also strategic for three reasons:

1. Only when an immediate ceasefire is called will the Palestinian resistance be able to negotiate a full prisoner exchange, which will hopefully see thousands of Palestinian children and adults freed from the chokehold of zionist prisons.

2. We know that the people of Gaza are being targeted today, and have been targeted over the last two decades, because they unequivocally and unconditionally support the resistance.

A ceasefire is necessary for the people of Gaza to survive and so, by extension, it is also necessary for the Palestinian liberation struggle.

3. The ‘humanitarian pause’ was achieved through the military gains of the resistance.

The zionist entity mounted a failed ground invasion, evidenced by the fact that the resistance managed to destroy over 20% of the entity’s armoured vehicles in Gaza. It is only through an immediate ceasefire that the zionist entity will be forced to confront its colossal military failure post-October 7th.

Beyond the ceasefire, our work is far from over. We know the road to liberation is long and hard, and we also know our role is important — sustained international pressure played a critical role in forcing the zionist entity and its imperial allies to call for a pause.

The Sunday Paper will continue to amplify voices of anticolonial resistance; this is the small but significant part we play in overcoming the global projects of zionism and imperialism.

Image credit: Samar Abu Elouf, Gaza, 2021

Contact: hello@thesundaypaper.com.au