'Muted excitement': New Mexicans express relief, skepticism over Middle East peace deal

The ramifications of the two-year war in Gaza that has left tens of thousands dead have sent shockwaves to the farthest corners of the globe.

In New Mexico, a proposed peace deal on Monday has been met with bated breath.

Israeli and Palestinian supporters across the state expressed both relief and skepticism after Monday’s news of hostages and prisoners being released as part of a ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas, which has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007.

Jewish Community Relations Coalition of New Mexico director Juan Dircie said he is grateful for the release of the 20 Israeli hostages “who are reunited with their relatives.”

“After two years of cruelty and captivity at the hands of Hamas, we hope this will be the beginning of a new era in the Middle East with no more terrorists and where all people will live in peace,” he said.

Palestinian-American Said Assali, of Santa Fe, said he had “muted excitement” when he learned about the prisoner and hostage swap and ceasefire.

“(It) should have happened a lot sooner,” he said.

Assali said six of his cousins were killed, while other loved ones lost their homes, during the war in Gaza.

“It’s just really truly a shame, really a crime, that we did not push for ceasefire negotiations and diplomatic hostage releases sooner,” he said. “We could have saved a lot more lives.”

Emile Nakhleh, former research professor and director for the University of New Mexico’s Global & National Security Policy Institute, said he will leave it to historians to figure out why something wasn’t done sooner.

He added, “I would blame (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and Hamas for delaying the exchanges and ceasefire.”

Netanyahu wanted to prolong the war, while Hamas wanted to get a better deal, Nakhleh said.

‘Process of healing and rebuilding’

The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, with militants killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel went on to invade Gaza and killed more than 67,000 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government.

In the last two years, there were two other ceasefires that did not progress beyond temporary stoppages in fighting and limited exchanges of hostages and prisoners.

On Monday, the remains of four hostages were returned to Israel and another 24 hostages were supposed to be turned over as part of the first phase of the ceasefire, which also requires Israel to allow a surge of food and other humanitarian aid into Gaza, the AP reported.

On Tuesday, according to the AP, an Israeli military agency said it would slash aid deliveries to Gaza by half over concerns that Hamas was handing over the bodies slower than agreed upon. It was later reported that Israel received the bodies.

Jewish Voice for Peace organizer Tanya Hyde said she is skeptical the ceasefire will stick.

“Israel violated ceasefires numerous times, so we have to keep a close eye on how we move forward,” she said.

Among the issues left to resolve is Israel’s insistence that a weakened Hamas disarm. Hamas refuses to do that and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israeli forces pulled back to where they were in August, before launching their latest offensive on Gaza City. A number of hard-hit Palestinian neighborhoods remain under Israeli control, and Israel has warned residents not to try to return to homes there.

Santa Feans for Justice in Palestine co-chairman Jeffrey Haas said, “The fate of the Palestinians is unclear since they don’t have control of their future.”

In a Monday news release, Dircie said the Jewish Community Relations Coalition of New Mexico “expresses cautious optimism that this moment may signal a true turning point toward lasting stability and coexistence.”

“We hope for the establishment of a new administration in the Gaza Strip,” he said. “One free from terror and violence, to begin the essential process of healing and rebuilding for the innocent Palestinian people, who deserve a future of peace, dignity, and hope.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Gregory R.C. Hasman is a general assignment reporter and the road warrior. You can contact him at ghasman@abqjournal.com.