Conditions for Agreement

Hamas has said that it’s studying Donald Trump’s ceasefire proposal, but has indicated that for it to agree, Israel must pull out from Gaza.

Israel Welcomes the Proposal

Hostage Deal and Ceasefire Commitment

The Israeli government has also welcomed developments, saying it was serious about a hostage deal and a ceasefire.

Lack of Public Details on Proposal

Undisclosed Terms

Despite the pressure and enthusiasm from Donald Trump about an imminent peace deal, the details still haven’t been released to the public. I’d imagine the negotiators know what’s in this deal. Indeed, the Israelis will know what’s in this deal because they were there when it was hashed out in Washington.

Firm Positions from Both Sides

Israeli Stance

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, yesterday said that Hamas would be defeated. There will be no going back, and so maintaining his pretty hardline position.

Hamas Stance

Hamas, for its part, is still saying that there must be a long-term peace agreement after any ceasefire deal expires because they don’t want, as happened last time, a return to war with its devastating consequences. And also, Hamas wants Israeli military troops to withdraw at the very least from Gaza, partially.

Mediation Efforts

Involvement of Qatar and Egypt

So publicly, at least, there seems to be no meeting of minds, a lot of mistrust between the two sides after 21 months of war. But the intermediators, the mediators from Qatar and Egypt, are believed to be working hard and are speaking to both sides, perhaps to try and get some sort of language which would allow them to maintain their positions but still come to this 60-day ceasefire agreement. And also, there’s a framework for the release of hostages that we know Israel desperately needs.

Hostage Crisis

Critical Priority for Israel

Yes, sorry, I forgot to mention that. Of course, for most members of the Israeli public and the Israeli government, the release of the remaining hostages, 23 of whom are still thought to be alive, is a must. I mean, that must happen. And I think it’s tough to see how any peace deal from an Israeli perspective cannot involve the release of most, if not all, of the remaining hostages.

Escalation in Gaza

Military Action Intensifies

This may happen next week. We don’t know. Netanyahu is going to Washington. The problem in the meantime is that Israel has stepped up its military campaign in Gaza. Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes. There are about 100 deaths every day in Gaza, including that awful phrase, collateral damage, civilians killed when Israel is striking a military target. Yesterday, there was a very well-known Gaza surgeon called Dr. Maruan Sultan who was killed along with his family in his home. Israel says it was attacking a Hamas target and was looking into possible civilian casualties, but this is something that is now happening with increasing regularity.

Aid Distribution Concerns

Trump’s Emphasis on Urgency

Donald Trump is saying that the sides have to agree. Hamas, he says, has to take this deal because it will not get better. And on social media, he was writing “it will only get worse” in all caps. So, arguably, he is pushing for this massively.

Humanitarian Aid Issues

And you know it’s a perfect point you make about aid because it might not be a direct part of the peace deal, but it’s part of the ceasefire agreement. But it’s something that the international community and aid agencies will be really pushing for, as happened last time under the previous ceasefire agreement. They want to discontinue the highly controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation system because it’s not working effectively. They say too many people are dying in and around the aid centers. What they want is for the UN, other bodies like the World Food Program, the World Health Organization, to bring aid into their 400 centers around Gaza to the people who need it, and get that badly needed food aid, medical supplies to the people who need it. So that might be part of any future ceasefire agreement.

Analysis by Yosi Bellin

The Oslo Peace Process Viewpoint

We’re going to pick up with some of the points that Wira was making with Yosi Bellin, who is a former Israeli justice minister and also a key figure in the Oslo peace process.

Irreconcilable Demands

Now, as we were hearing from our correspondent in Jerusalem, the details we don’t exactly know as to what is in this peace plan that has been proposed by Donald Trump, but he’s very keen for it to go through. But the point is, we’ve got what is arguably an immovable object hitting an unstoppable force. We have Benjamin Netanyahu vowing that there will be no Hamas in postwar Gaza, and Hamas wants a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Arguably, these two aren’t compatible.

War and Aftermath

Need for Shorter Timelines

Yeah, I mean it is very, very difficult to believe that we are on the verge of the end of the war and the release of all our hostages. And I don’t understand why we need 60 days? What are we going to do during these 60 days? The war is over. Israel won over Hamas. Full stop. We can go back home. We can allow the local people to deal with the provision of food and humanitarian needs. We shouldn’t be there. We should not pay the price of the people who are queuing and being killed by someone, God knows who. And the point is that somebody doesn’t want to end this war. And I don’t see the morning after at all. I don’t know a moment in which, after 60 days, the Hamas people are saying Okay, these are the last hostages, and what then? We go home? We go elsewhere? Do we stay in Gaza? All these things have to be dealt with, and I think that it should be dealt with in a few weeks, not in months.

Status of Hamas

Questioning Leadership

Can I just pick up on the point that you make that Israel has won arguably for Benjamin Netanyahu, for a victory for Israel is the dissolution of Hamas. That hasn’t happened. How can it happen? How can it happen? I mean, the leadership of Hamas is no longer there. They were killed. I don’t know. I cannot tell you even one name who is relevant enough or prominent enough in Hamas that I know his name. So it’s only the second or third tiers that are still there. If Israel demands, and this is more than legitimate, that Hamas leave Gaza and find itself in Qatar or Iran, whatever, fine. Let us negotiate this point, and they should get from us some kind of immunity.

Solving the Real Problem

That is a real problem, and that has to be solved yesterday, and it can be solved. It was solved in other circumstances, and it can be solved now. Once this is solved, we can get back our hostages. They are dying every day in the tunnels, and somebody looks at it and says, “Yeah, very sad. Very sad.” Rather than putting an end to this situation.

Moving Forward

Establishing Governance

With a minute to go, how can it be solved because arguably, we have Israel now not confirming whether they’ve agreed to whatever the conditions are. Hamas is saying that they’re looking at this proposal from Donald Trump. They’re ready and serious to reach a deal, yet we’re still talking about the possibility of a ceasefire. How can that be pushed forward?

Long-Term Solution

The most important thing is that in the morning, after there will be an Arab administration in Gaza, an interim one until there is a Palestinian state which includes Gaza and the West Bank. Towards this, there should be a resumption of the talks between the government of Israel and the PLO in order to get to a permanent agreement. Once there are talks, it would be possible for the Arab partners like the Emirates and others to put boots on the ground and to help in putting order and law back in Gaza. And the specific issue of allowing some of the Hamas leaders to leave Gaza. I don’t think that this should be the obstacle that prevents us from putting an end to the current situation. The current situation is unbearable for everybody there. And the number of 60 days, I don’t know who the genius is who invented it, but there is no need for such a long time.

Final Remark

Yosi Bellin, former Israeli justice minister, thank you for your thoughts.

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