Minnesotans welcome Gaza ceasefire but question what comes next

News of a ceasefire in Gaza prompted relief among Twin Cities faith leaders and advocacy groups this weekend — but also uncertainty about what the agreement will truly mean for civilians and whether it marks the start of lasting peace.

Israeli hostages being held in Gaza are expected to be freed Monday as part of a ceasefire that also will include the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners plus an influx in food, fuel and other aid to Gaza.

The stand-down comes two years after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing close to 1,200 people, many of whom were civilians, and taking 250 hostages. In the ensuing war, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.

Local pro-Palestinian activists described the pause in fighting as both necessary and incomplete, a moment of respite that does not resolve the humanitarian crisis or the political conditions behind it. Supporters of Israel have said that while the future of the deal should be evaluated, the immediate focus should be on providing support to the hostages and their families.

On Sunday, Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg of Jewish Voice for Peace Twin Cities called the ceasefire comforting, but said it did not address “the conditions that led to this violence.”

“Every day without bombs dropping on Gaza is an incredible relief,” said Rosenberg, whose organization opposes U.S. military aid to Israel. “Gaza has been decimated. The people have endured so much death and destruction.”

While Jewish Voice for Peace and other activist groups called for U.S. military policy change, other Jewish organizations focused on relief for Israelis affected by the war.

“It came because countless individuals refused to give up — families who spoke out, leaders who acted and communities who stood shoulder to shoulder in unwavering faith and solidarity,” the statement said. “Even in our deepest pain, hope endures.”

The federations thanked the U.S. government “for the work it has done on Israel’s behalf,” and urged continued focus on reuniting Israeli families and supporting hostages’ safe return.

The St. Paul and Minneapolis Jewish Federations held separate events last week to remember the lives lost in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, including Noi Maudi, who taught at the Talmud Torah school in St. Paul before returning to Israel.

Steve Hunegs, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, said the emotions of the deal were “complex.” He said he feels joy for the hostages coming home, but is also thinking about the cost of the war for both Palestinians and Israelis.

“We hope that this will provide an opportunity for looking forward, rebuilding Gaza, providing humanitarian aid and the safety that all Palestinians and Israelis deserve,” he said.

Taher Herzallah, director of outreach and community organizing for American Muslims for Palestine, said the ceasefire is “a welcome step” that ends the immediate bombardment but does not amount to a political solution.

“It’s merely a ceasefire — just the beginning — because it doesn’t address the root cause of the conflict,” Herzallah said.

Herzallah, who has family in Gaza, said relatives are “trying to pick up the pieces of their lives that have been completely shattered.”

“They’re trying to figure out how to continue living in the absence of so many loved ones who have been killed over the last two years,” he said. “Their homes have been destroyed or damaged, the health system has collapsed, and there’s no sanitation or water infrastructure. They’re happy the bombs are not dropping — but it’s a catastrophe beyond description.”

The range of responses reflects how deeply the conflict has resonated in Minnesota, home to growing Arab and Muslim communities and long-established Jewish congregations that have grappled with the war’s political and moral fallout.

“For the past two years, a ceasefire was our immediate demand because it was most urgent,” Salawdeh said. “But a ceasefire, to me, is like the Israeli government just killing Palestinians at a less frequent basis.”

They said that although the pause in fighting is welcome, the conditions remain dire.

“Of course I’m really happy that this happened,” they said. “But I have my reservations. ...The ceasefire isn’t Palestinian liberation. It’s a pause in the escalation of the genocide.”