Last week, a ceasefire deal brokered by the United States was accepted between Israel and Palestine. Highlighted in the deal was the release of all 20 of the remaining Israeli hostages, as well as the 2,000 Palestinians that had been taken since Oct. 7, 2023. This deal marked an important moment in the ongoing war that has caused inhumane conditions and violence in and around the Gaza Strip.
Since the ceasefire announcement, however, numerous tensions between the two governments have strained the agreement. The Israeli government has claimed that Hamas failed to return bodies of 16 Israeli hostages, prompting Israel to temporarily block aid shipments into Gaza for what it called a “violation” of the treaty.
Israel has expressed dismay with the pace of the hostage returns. However, critics of the Israel government attribute the slow return to the mass destruction in Gaza. According to a recent article in the New York Times, “neighborhoods have been flattened” by the Israeli troops, with most of Gaza “now damaged or destroyed.” Rubble crushing the b may be slowing recovery efforts.
The ceasefire has also prompted discussion about how the recent changes in the conflict might affect activism on and around Carleton’s campus. Since Oct. 2023, groups such as Students for Justice of Palestine (SJP) and Faculty for Justice of Palestine have continuously called for the college to divest funds tied to Israel’s military and to break its silence on the violence occurring in Gaza.
Another group, Northfield for Justice in Palestine/Israel (NJPI), has long advocated for peace in the West Bank. NJPI’s website lists their demands, including “an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Israeli invasion of Gaza” as well as a “mutual exchange” of hostages and political prisoners. These demands bring up questions regarding how NJPI’s agenda will evolve.
For SJP, the recent ceasefire deal has not changed their activism on campus. Recent chalk messaging, appearing in front of Sayles, is just one example of the group’s continued protest.
“The ceasefire deal is not going to change what we do here at Carleton. Regardless of the agreement, we still want to draw attention to the fact that our college has millions of dollars invested into the weapons manufacturing company Woodward, which has contributed to the genocide over the past two years,” said Julia Tassava ’26, a member of SJP.
Tassava further asserted that SJP intends to “remind everyone here of the thousands of lives that have been lost, including students just like us, and the loss of every university in Gaza. The current deal does not change any of this, nor does it absolve us or Carleton College of the responsibility to speak out.”
Although SJP members are “happy for any reprieve that people in Palestine get from the brutalities and violence we’ve all seen unfolding over the past two years,” Tassava said that they “hesitate to think of the conflict as anywhere near over.”
“We remain wary of the goals of the ceasefire deal, especially one brokered by the United States, a direct contributor to Israel’s genocide,” Tassava said. “No amount of U.S.-backed rebuilding efforts – specifically efforts led by Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ – can undo the immense damage and traumas that the Palestinian people have endured over the past two years and, really, the past 75 years.”
Tassava continued, saying“Israel’s recent airstrikes on Gaza and suspension of humanitarian aid are in direct violation of the terms of the agreement.”
With ongoing tension surrounding the stability of the ceasefire, SJP members said it is difficult to consider the fight over. The group is still fighting for the demands made at the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year, including the divestment of the Carleton endowment from “any investment related to the genocidal project in Israel.” SJP is also continuing to request a statement which “directly addresses the plight of the Palestinians as a genocide” and affirms that “the educational mission and moral imperative [as] more important than the growth of the endowment.”
Through these requests, SJP is asserting their desire for Carleton to end its silence on the violence on the West Bank. They have advocated for expanding the Middle East Studies department to promote a broader and clearer understanding of the conflict.
“Ultimately, it’s in our name. As long as there’s injustice happening in Palestine, SJP will keep doing educational events, fundraising for aid, and advocating for divestment from weapons manufacturing,” said another member of SJP who wished to remain anonymous. “That’s not to say that the ceasefire isn’t important. If it stands, it would mean a lot to so many people. Personally, I’m really lucky to have grown up with important people in my life who have been involved in activism as Palestinian-Americans for decades. And one thing I’ve heard is that from their perspective, it seems like maybe we’re at a turning point where young people in the United States are paying attention and are willing to do something about injustice in Palestine. It’s so important to me as a member of this younger generation that such hope isn’t an illusion, that we actually keep caring, regardless of whether Palestine is in the headlines.”
Similarly, NJP/I said it will continue its activism despite the ceasefire deal.
“NJP/I welcomes the ceasefire and hopes that, this time, the ceasefire will lead to a just and lasting peace,” the group said in an email to the Carletonian, “NJP/I will continue to educate the community and to advocate for an end to the occupation of Palestine and the apartheid system which defines the lives of Palestinians. With the ceasefire, our work is not done and will continue until Palestinians can live lives of dignity and be free of oppression.”
Founded in 2007, NJP/I has remained active through multiple ceasefires. Both SJP and NJP/I plan to continue holding educational events and protests. .
On Oct. 26, 2025, NJP/I will host an event called “The Weaponization of Antisemitism: Squelching Debate on Palestine and Israel” at the Northfield Public Library, featuring retired Carleton professor, Joel Weisburg. Furthermore, the anonymous member of SJP said that “they want to make sure we’re keeping up with the news about it. One way that we discuss more current events as SJP is through SJP Radio, the KRLX show from 9-10:30 on Saturday nights.”
