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Over the past seven months, there have been countless attempts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and finally bring a halt to the fighting. Each attempt has gone nowhere, however, bar a one-week truce in November.
Why has a ceasefire been so elusive? Marika Sosnowski, who researches ceasefires at the University of Melbourne, tracks the key moments in the search for peace in a timeline for us today.
The timeline shows how disagreements in the UN Security Council, in particular, have stymied progress towards a ceasefire. Likewise, direct negotiations between Israel and Hamas have faltered over disagreements on the terms.
Sosnowski shows how language is many times at the root of these disagreements. For months, for instance, the US avoided approving resolutions that called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”, but did support a “temporary ceasefire”.
Even a ceasefire is not a panacea, Sosnowski notes. Ceasefires are often “just the tip of the iceberg”, she writes, in terms of bringing meaningful, structural security to those affected by complex systems of violence.
P.S. We are two weeks into our donations campaign and thanks to the support of our generous supporters we are now 20% to our goal. To to those that haven’t given yet and can afford to, there is still time.
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Justin Bergman
International Affairs Editor
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Marika Sosnowski, The University of Melbourne
Israel and Hamas have yet to reach a peace deal, despite calls from the UN and mediated efforts from Egypt and Qatar.
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Alan Renwick, Lincoln University, New Zealand
Is the ban really a death knell for the Western Australian sheep industry, as is sometimes argued? Or just an inevitable step in a necessary transition?
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Marnee Shay, The University of Queensland; Grace Sarra, Queensland University of Technology
There is a strong body of evidence about what works in Indigenous education. But budgets seem to keep ignoring research that says we need to listen to Indigenous people.
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Roger Benjamin, University of Sydney
Gina Reinhart shouldn’t ask for her portrait to come down – but King Charles III probably should have sent his back.
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Antonia Shand, University of Sydney; Natasha Nassar, University of Sydney
Pregnancy and an acne medication called oral retinoids don’t mix. Australia needs a clear strategy to manage this risk.
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Nic Rawlence, University of Otago; Alexander Verry, University of Otago
Many people may assume New Zealand’s native birds arrived via Australia. But our new research on the Auckland Island merganser shows they originated from much further away.
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Lisa J. Hackett, University of New England; Jo Coghlan, University of New England
Historical romance allows readers to imagine a better past. For many, this is more important than historical accuracy – which can be ‘the icing on the cake’.
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Megan C Evans, UNSW Sydney; Brendan Wintle, The University of Melbourne; Hugh Possingham, The University of Queensland
When Labor took office, it promised to reverse nature’s decline. But that looks more and more like greenwashing
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Politics + Society
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Tim Harcourt, University of Technology Sydney
The NRL wants to expand to 20 teams by the end of the decade, with many pros and cons to consider for each hopeful vying to join the league.
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Sandra van der Laan, University of Sydney; Lee Moerman, University of Wollongong
Next-of-kin often feel pressured to make hasty funeral arrangements. Most contact a funeral director and tee up a conventional service plus burial or cremation. But what are the other options?
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Health + Medicine
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Treasure McGuire, The University of Queensland
Before menopause, women’s hearts tend to be protected by their circulating hormones. In midlife, they may well get a shock when a doctor outlines their health risks.
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Science + Technology
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Marcel Scharth, University of Sydney
The ‘multimodal’ GTP-4o works with text, sound, images and video, all wrapped in a chatty interactive ‘personality’.
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Adam D Hines, Queensland University of Technology
How exactly do anaesthetic drugs shut down the brain? We still don’t have a complete picture, but a new study just got us a step closer.
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Environment + Energy
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Grant Linley, Charles Sturt University; Dale Nimmo, Charles Sturt University
Are wombats the accidental heroes of the Australian bush? After the Black Summer bushfires, we set up 56 cameras to capture animal activity in areas with and without wombat burrows to find out.
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Ian Lowe, Griffith University
For decades, Australia has sold uranium – but said no to nuclear reactors. That’s set to change, whether in nuclear submarines or even in plans for power plants.
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Arts + Culture
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Catherine Strong, RMIT University; Ben Green, Griffith University; Sam Whiting, University of South Australia
The Australian live music industry is in crisis. Is $8.6 million for Revive Live enough to turn things around?
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Jonathan Graffam, Monash University
If you’re in need of a queerly spiritual intervention, or more simply looking for a show that will stay with you, I urge you to experience Homo Pentecostus at Malthouse.
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