After 15 months of war, death, destruction and months of negotiations led by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, Israel and Hamas have announced a ceasefire agreement.  

The ceasefire was announced on Jan. 15 and began on Jan. 19. The agreement is based on one initially proposed by former President Biden last May and is said to roll out in three phases.  

During the initial stage, Israeli hostages have been exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, Israeli forces are to pull out of areas in Gaza strip, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.  

Sixteen days after the initial stage began, officials began negotiating terms for the second stage of the ceasefire. Negotiations include discussion of a permanent ceasefire, releasing remaining hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, returning the remains of deceased hostages and the reconstruction of Gaza. As of now, the agreement has remained intact as negotiations continue.  

The agreement has sparked a range of reactions among CSU students, with many expressing hope, skepticism and frustration. Student activists and community members involved in campus discussions and demonstrations shared their perspectives on what the ceasefire means and how it has impacted conversations about Palestine and Israel at CSU. 

For many students, the ceasefire feels like a temporary pause rather than a step toward long-term peace. A CSU student of Palestinian origin, who wished to remain anonymous, described their initial reaction to the agreement.  

“I was glad that many lives are going to be saved hopefully, and that the Gazans can finally get some peace to the grief, go back to their houses and start to rebuild their home,” the student said. “I don’t believe that this is going to be the end of it as long as the occupation lasts and keeps violating the agreements.”  

Although they want to remain optimistic, the student went on to discuss their personal experiences as a Palestinian, and how their perspective differs from those who have not been personally impacted by the conflict. 

“As someone who actually experienced this in real life not only the news, I could see that the peace will not last long with all the new changes in various (Israeli) policies…including settlement expansion and legal frameworks,” the student said. “The use of ‘Judea and Samaria’ instead of ‘West Bank’ is seen as part of these efforts to reinforce Israeli claims in the region.”  

The student is referring to a proposal by Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney, who represents New York’s 24th District, to require all official United States documents to use the term “Judea and Samaria” rather than “West Bank” when referring to the region.  

Jay Bates Domenech, another CSU student involved in activism on campus, shared a similar perspective, arguing that the ceasefire does not address the root of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, which goes back to the creation of the Israeli state in 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were ethnically cleansed and displaced from their homes. The event is now known as the Nakba, and marks the day Zionist forces captured 78% of historic Palestine.  

According to Bates Domenech, real progress towards peace will require systemic change.  

“I honestly think the ceasefire is an empty promise that has happened over and over again, so I don’t think this is a true step to peace. Even if Israel is saying they won’t be actively murdering people, they still have an apartheid over Palestine,” Bates Domenech said. “Freedom for Palestine means land back for Palestine, and a two-state solution cannot exist for Palestine to be free.” 

The ceasefire has reignited conversations about Palestine at CSU, particularly within activist circles.  

Ella Smith, a student organizer for Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, noted that discussions have primarily taken place behind closed doors due to safety concerns due to President Trump’s recent executive orders aimed at pro-Palestinian activists to combat anti-Semitism.  

“I’ve noticed a lot of discussions (about the ceasefire), I’ve been involved with them. A lot of them have been kept personal and private for safety, especially with the administration,” Smith said. “Donald Trump has said that he is willing to cancel student visas for international students and that he has even discussed deporting students who are ‘pro-Hamas,’ which I want to be very clear is not what Students for Justice in Palestine is. We’re in support of the liberation of Palestine from the oppressive regime of Israel.” 

The people in Gaza may be far away from us geographically, but their humanness is no different from ours. They share this one planet with us, and attacks on one human are an attack on us all.” – Haydin Johnson, CSU student

Smith, who is a Jewish individual but has moved away from Zionist beliefs, expressed frustration with how mainstream media has framed the agreement and made the point that this is not a permanent ceasefire.  

“A lot of individuals I have been in contact with have expressed disappointment, especially in the way that it has been covered by the media,” Smith said. “Not only the way it’s been covered by the media, but in the fact that this is not a ceasefire, and that although we have continued our activism in support of liberation of Palestinian people, that this is like a half step forward and three steps back kind of situation for us.” 

While student activists have been vocal, several students have pointed out that much of the CSU community remains disengaged or uninformed.  

“I don’t think that the general population of CSU is well informed about the situation. I think that there is a group of students who are well informed, I think a lot of students who are involved in activist spaces are well informed,” Smith said. “I don’t think that students have all of the information and I think it’s incredibly difficult to be able to get all the information, especially with all of the censoring of information we’re seeing right now.” 

Haydin Johnson, another CSU student, believes that social media algorithms contribute to the lack of awareness regarding the situation, and students have a responsibility to actively seek out accurate information. 

“I think in this age of media, it is easy to get lost in our echo chambers. Our algorithms show us only what we want to see and it makes ignoring the truth and atrociousness of the conflict more palatable,” Johnson said. “We have to, as a student body, seek out the truth, evaluate our own feelings and values towards them, and make judgments based on that.” 

Despite frustrations, many CSU students remain committed to advocacy, education and the importance of solidarity when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

“The people in Gaza may be far away from us geographically, but their humanness is no different from ours,” Johnson said. “They share this one planet with us, and attacks on one human are an attack on us all.” 

Reach Laila Shekarchian at news@collegian.com or on social media @CSUCollegian.