The sounds of gunfire and explosions may finally go quiet in Gaza. After 15 months of carnage and devastation, there is a renewed pathway for hope in bringing the fighting to an end. Yesterday’s announcement of a tentatively agreed-upon ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was cautiously welcomed news for millions caught in the spiral of war. 

As politicians sought applause and praise for their part in the negotiation, the bombs continued to fall, families still braved the cold weather in tents with little access to clean water, food, and sanitation, and the families of Israeli hostages still did not have their loved ones back home. Over 2 million residents in Gaza have been displaced from their homes, while hundreds of thousands are dead or missing, including women and children, under the rubble of dusty concrete and rebar. A ceasefire for Gaza is hardly a new beginning, but a reprieve from the chaos. For Israel and the families who have loved ones who remain as hostages, a ceasefire means the prospect of finally returning them home.

War is paradoxically horrific and alluring. It’s fueled by an insatiable industrial complex that feeds on the banal desires of power, vengeance, and profits. Brave journalists have sought to amplify and share the pictures and stories of its devastating trauma. Without their work and risk to their own lives, the global pressure to end the war would be largely absent.

The real victory, however, in any lasting ceasefire that materializes in the coming days belongs to the activists. The ones who have tirelessly and peacefully organized demonstrations, hung posters of the missing, marched in the streets, shared stories of suffering, camped on the commons of college campuses, and created awareness of injustice. As politicians spent billions on reshaping the Middle East with powerful weapons and flew on private jets to conduct the business of dealmaking, non-violent activists were leading in small and impactful ways to create a better tomorrow. Their tactics were not always welcomed or understood, but their values were consistent – an equitable outcome that would bring an end to human suffering.

Violence will always create the conditions for despair and distrust. Hope inspires possibility and human flourishing. Until nations and people cease funding and rewarding violence, our true potential remains a far-fetched dream.