When Will Palestine Be Free?
- Ofek Kehila
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
In the aftermath of the Gaza war, a US-led coalition is making efforts to bring about the conditions for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. This endeavor faces multiple challenges, but the payoff may be worth it. For example, will Palestine be free of terror and corruption?
Why it matters
The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict has caused instability, destruction, and enormous loss of lives for over a century.
An establishment of a free Palestine alongside the State of Israel could put an end not only to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but also to the general conflict between Israel and other Arab nations.
To achieve this outcome, both parties, and specifically the Palestinian Authority, would have to make significant compromises.
Postwar: Will Palestine be free?
On October 9, 2025, based on US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire after two years of bloodshed, bringing a possible end to the Gaza war. The ceasefire sets a pathway for Palestinian self-determination and statehood. Nevertheless, several things need to happen first, starting with the end of Hamas rule in Gaza.
On September 12, 2025, the UN General Assembly voted to back a Hamas-free government for a future Palestinian state. As of today, Hamas still controls and governs Gaza. However, the UN vote states that any long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must exclude the organization. Instead, the Palestinian Authority is expected to govern the West Bank, Gaza, and a future Palestinian state.
The Palestinian side
Even if the US-led coalition, including the Europeans, Arab countries, and others, manages to cast aside the still armed and governing Hamas, the path to a PA-ruled Palestine still faces many obstacles.
For instance, even though Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has made preliminary steps to abolish the so-called Martyrs Fund, the PA’s “pay-to-slay” policy is still in effect. As long as that government incentive system to kill Israelis exists, there won’t be an accord.
Another major obstacle on the Palestinian side is the PA education system and curriculum, which includes incitement of antisemitism, promotion of violent jihad, and rejection of future peace with Israel. As long as the PA continues to weaponize child education against Jews and Israelis, a long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict seems more unattainable than ever.
The Israeli side
The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, insists that there will not be a Palestinian state, perceiving such a state as an existential threat to Israel.
The Israeli far right even proposed annexing 82% of the West Bank to prevent a Palestinian state from ever existing. In response, the UAE warned that such steps would seriously hamper Israel’s integration in the region and a future expansion of the Abraham Accords.
Since the Hamas-led attack on Israel and the Gaza war, the majority of Israelis oppose a Palestinian state, too. A recent poll by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs shows that Israeli public opposition to a Palestinian state jumped from 69% to 79% after October 7.
The US side
The US and its allies are determined to bring forth a peace agreement and a future state of Palestine. In a joint statement arranged by the US, various countries backed the UN Security Council resolution to establish an International Stabilization Force in Gaza and create a pathway toward Palestinian self-determination and statehood.
There is current support from other nations, including Germany, Qatar, Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan, and Turkey.
Wrap up
A recent Gallup survey offered a bleak vision of the future of the Middle East: only 21% of adults in Israel and 23% of West Bank Palestinians believe peace between Israel and Palestine will ever be achieved. In fact, the majority in both populations says permanent peace will never come to pass.
Given that peace or any long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can hardly be achieved without the support and partnership of both Israelis and Palestinians, efforts made by the US and others to bring an end to the conflict, for "Palestine to be free," and for Israel to be free of war and terror.
Ofek Kehila (Israel, 1987) is a scholar of Spanish Golden Age literature and Latin American literature of the 20th and 21st centuries. His research bridges the gap between those traditions, highlighting their aesthetic, cultural, and historical dialogue. He holds a PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2022) and was a postdoctoral fellow at Freie Universität Berlin (2023-2025).