Israel and Hamas have finally agreed to a temporary truce in Gaza some 467 days after the horrors of October 7, 2023. The news has been welcomed globally and is especially welcome for the welfare of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza.

The hope with any ceasefire is that it will lead to a permanent cessation of hostilities between two implacable foes in the world’s most volatile and unstable region. The reality, however, is that a negotiated settlement of the war is unlikely to form the enduring basis for peace in the Middle East. It’s worth remembering this is the tenth ceasefire in a quarter of a century since the collapse of the Camp David summit in 2000.