Since Israel assassinated Hamas’s top leader and negotiator, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran on July 31, mediators from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar have attempted to reconstruct a cease-fire agreement that stands a chance of succeeding. Hamas, now led by Yahya Sinwar, has signaled an interest in hearing any serious proposals, but has not participated directly and remains skeptical of Israel’s sincerity. Israel, on the other hand, has pushed an agreement further out of reach by issuing a series of new demands, including sustained control over Gaza’s southern border with Egypt.
That Benjamin Netanyahu is desperate to escalate the conflict was already evident in the pattern of negotiations while Haniyeh was alive. In early February, Hamas proposed a phased drawdown in the fighting, which was itself a slight modification to an earlier plan drafted by officials from Israel, Egypt, and the United States. The plan would have had Hamas trade Israeli hostages who are women or children for Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails, followed by the return of all remaining hostages alongside a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Until last month, some version of this offer remained on the table, but Netanyahu rejected it time and time again.
In every case, Israel has insisted that there must be no permanent cease-fire, and the war will go on “until all its objectives are achieved, including the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities.” As multiple observers have noted, Israel cannot at once be interested in a cease-fire deal yet at the same time insist upon eliminating Hamas in Gaza altogether. Hamas, likewise, cannot be expected to negotiate itself out of existence.
The American press has largely
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Auteur: Niko Block
