Washington, D.C. | www.mpac.org | October 9, 2025 — Delegations of Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of the ceasefire which would release the remaining 48 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian imprisoned hostages and withdraw Israeli troops to an agreed-upon line. The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) welcomes this development as a critical step to halt further bloodshed and ease human suffering. Yet, this pause must serve as a bridge to a lasting ceasefire, not merely a momentary reprieve.
This ceasefire, however, cannot obscure the genocide and ethnic cleansing that Palestinians have faced for the last 2 years and before that, for seven decades since 1948. The deliberate targeting of civilians, starvation as a weapon of war, and the systematic destruction of Gaza are not isolated acts but part of a long and brutal campaign of dehumanization. The International Criminal Court’s ruling issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity must be enforced. Accountability is not optional; it is essential to ending the cycle of impunity and ensuring that justice is applied equally to all, regardless of power or position.
What is needed now is the steadfast implementation of this agreement:
Unrestricted humanitarian access to deliver food, water, medicine, and shelter.
Protections for civilians and infrastructure from renewed attack.
The release of all hostages, Palestinian and Israeli alike, whose freedom is essential for any just peace.
Finally, while diplomatic progress is welcome, MPAC strongly urges U.S. policymakers to oppose the inclusion of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the proposed governing board of the “Gaza Authority.” Mr. Blair’s record, chief architect of the 2003 Iraq War, which destabilized an entire region and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, and his failed tenure as Middle East Envoy, during which he prioritized Israeli security interests over Palestinian sovereignty, disqualifies him from any role in shaping Gaza’s future. His appointment would signal a return to the same interventionist, Western-centric policies that have repeatedly undermined regional peace efforts.
Moreover, Israel’s ongoing insistence on maintaining occupation and control over Gaza’s borders, resources, and governance threatens to sabotage any genuine progress toward peace. Empowering figures like Blair, who embody this failed approach, would only entrench injustice and prolong suffering. The United States must instead support leadership rooted in accountability, justice, and the genuine self-determination of the Palestinian people.
