The bombs have stopped. What now?
Ceasefire for now
Welcome to the il manifesto global newsletter, an essential weekly briefing of progressive news delivered to you each week.
What we're reading
- The fragile ceasefire in Gaza faced its first test on Tuesday when Israel said the flow of aid into the devastated Palestinian territory would be cut by half and the crucial Rafah border crossing with Egypt would not open as planned, accusing Hamas of breaching the US-brokered agreement by withholding the bodies of Israeli hostages. The Guardian
- More than 2 million people filled public squares across Italy on October 3 during a one-day general strike in support of the people of Gaza and against the ongoing genocide there. The strike, called by the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL) and grassroots unions, drew extraordinary participation from workers, students, families, and dozens of secular and religious associations. Labor Notes
- If the current ceasefire does hold, and if Israel and Hamas agree to implement the next phases of Trump’s deal, there will be a temptation to let Gaza slip out of the foreground of our collective mind’s eye. This is, in some ways, understandable. It has been a punishing, draining two years for anyone who cares about Palestine. The devastation of the genocide has left deep scars. It’s natural to want to leave all of that behind—to allow ourselves to make this someone else’s problem for a little while. But I am here to tell you that that is not an option. Discourse Blog
Perhaps no one embodies the fusion of public authority and private interest, politics and business, power and money better than Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law.
Over 600 people attended il manifesto’s Manifestival, including Jeremy Corbyn and representatives from across the European left. ‘We need uncomfortable reflections, like those at your festival.’
In the aftermath of the massacre, Israel received widespread solidarity. Today the narrative of the “most moral army in the world” gave way to that of the most ruthless, vengeful, and indiscriminate force.
This is the colonialists’ truce. It is a truce we welcome with joy because it saves lives, but also with anger, because we are well aware it could have come much sooner.
The end of the war in Gaza is not a victory; it is a painful awakening. We open our eyes to the scale of our loss and re-learn how to live without the things we once lived for.
‘We don’t trust Israel, and we don’t trust the United States either, which has always protected it. But what choice do we have but to hope?’
© 2025 il manifesto, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
il manifesto
Via Angelo Bargoni, 8, Roma, RM, Italia
Roma, Lazio 00153
Italy
