Last window for peace in Gaza closing fast
ISRAEL Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have boarded up the last window of opportunity for a negotiated resolution to the five-month war in the Gaza Strip. Last week, Netanyahu bluntly rejected an offer by Hamas for a four-month ceasefire that involves the release of the remaining hostages it is keeping in Gaza, the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave, and the eventual signing of an agreement to end the conflict.
Calling the offer “delusional,” he harked back to his pledge to continue the Israeli offensive in Gaza until Hamas is wiped out.
“The day after is the day after Hamas. All of Hamas,” Netanyahu underscored. “Only total victory will allow us to restore security in Israel, both in the north and in the south.”
The Palestinian militant organization, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, presented the ceasefire proposal in response to an offer worked out by US and Israeli intelligence officials.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken initially described Hamas’ counter-proposal as “over the top” and doubted if Netanyahu would sign off on it.
Blinken did acknowledge that “while there are some clear nonstarters in Hamas’ response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached, and we will work at that relentlessly until we get there.”
Netanyahu’s recalcitrance could shatter all hopes of lifting the heavy shroud of death, despair and desperation that has enveloped Gaza and its people.
More than 27,000 civilians have been killed in the fighting, and 80 percent of the 2.4 million populace are struggling to survive amid acute shortages of food, fuel and medicine.
With winter setting in, living conditions in Gaza are expected to worsen; hundreds of thousands have fled from their bombed-out homes and forced to live in makeshift shelters, according to the British Red Cross.
As the humanitarian crisis deepens, Israeli forces have stepped up their sweep of key Gaza cities, with the Israeli defense minister proclaiming last week that the army “will reach places where we have not yet fought … right up to the last Hamas bastion, which is Rafah.”
Netanyahu’s dismissal of Hamas’ terms has also heightened concerns about an escalating war that could engulf the entire Middle East.
The Gaza war has already triggered “solidarity” attacks by pro-Iran groups in the region, including the Houthis in Yemen and the Islamic Resistance, or IRGC, in Iraq. Early this month, an IRGC drone strike on a US base in Iraq killed three American servicemen and wounded scores more. The US retaliated with airstrikes on at least 80 militia sites in Iraq and Syria.
So far, Iran’s allies have not launched counterstrikes, apparently waiting for the outcome of the Gaza ceasefire negotiations. With Netanyahu’s firm rejection, there’s no longer any reason for them to hold back.
US President Joe Biden, meanwhile, is running out of options on how to get the Israeli leader to toe the line. Biden is seeking reelection this year, and he wants the Gaza issue ironed out before it could be exploited by his rivals.
Hanging tough
Netanyahu is hanging tough because he doesn’t want to appear to have been coerced into accepting a deal with Hamas. He already faces political repercussions at home, having been blamed for the intelligence failure that allowed Hamas fighters to cross the border last October 7 and slaughter 1,200 Israelis.
As the political standoff continues, the situation on the ground can only get worse. Without a pause in the fighting, Gaza’s humanitarian nightmare grows, and the fate of the remaining hostages becomes even more uncertain.
Decades of deep-seated mistrust between Israelis and Palestinians have led to an impasse that becomes harder to break as both sides cling to irreconcilable positions.
In a post on the Financial World website, political analyst Faruk Imamovic said that what is happening in Gaza “emphasizes the need for innovative diplomatic strategies that can bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas, involving not only direct stakeholders but also the broader international community in efforts to revive the peace process and explore new avenues towards a lasting resolution.”
At this point, any formula to save Gaza is worth trying out.