Pressure appears to be paving the way for a new deal between Hamas and Israel to exchange prisoners, which is what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alluded to.
Meanwhile, Axios revealed that the director of the Israeli Mossad met with the Qatari Prime Minister in Oslo to discuss the matter. A meeting that CNN reported was positive, and the Wall Street Journal suggested that the head of the Mossad would meet with Egyptian officials.
Will efforts succeed in reaching a truce and a new deal?
Former Palestinian Minister Ashraf Al-Ajrami explained, in an interview with Sky News Arabia, that Israel’s return to the negotiating table was driven by internal and external pressures.
- Domestic pressure increased after Israeli soldiers accidentally killed 3 Israeli detainees, prompting Netanyahu’s government to negotiate a new family exchange deal.
- The Israeli and Hamas parties need this deal.
- Israel refused to stop the war until its goals were achieved.
- Israel’s announcement to stop the war clearly expresses its failure and Hamas’ victory.
- After failing to achieve its goals, Israel has no choice but to seek an agreement with Hamas.
- Israel is adopting a maneuver to gain more time to complete its operations in Khan Yunis and the surrounding areas and improve its image in front of the Israeli street.
- Hamas uses its detainees as Israel’s weak point as a trump card in the war and to reach a ceasefire agreement.
- Hamas is ready to discuss post-war issues, provided that all Palestinian parties, without exception, reach a unified consensus regarding the Gaza Strip.
- With Netanyahu and the far-right government, Israel is not ready to accept the idea of the existence of a Palestinian state alongside the Israeli state.
What factors contribute to facilitating this deal?
Regarding the possibility that the pressure exerted on Israel will lead to the possibility of concluding a new deal with Hamas, Israeli writer and political researcher Eli Nissan says that the government gave the green light to the director of the Israeli Mossad, who met with the Qatari Prime Minister in Oslo to discuss the issue.
Nissan added during his talk to the newsroom, saying:
- Israel demands that the deal initially include an exchange of women, children and the elderly.
- Israel considers the ceasefire in Gaza a declaration of its failure and its support for Hamas.
- In the process of exchanging prisoners and detainees, Israel refused to rely on the list of names provided by Hamas.
- Israel’s fear of Yahya Sinwar using detainees and liquidating them during the besiegement and harassment operations.
- Work to eliminate Hamas so that it does not pose any threat to Israel in the future.
- Israel dismantled and eliminated the leaders of the Hamas movement in Khan Yunis.
- Hamas exploited the overcrowding in Khan Yunis to hide and use Gazans as human shields.
- Hamas cannot be eliminated as an idea and vision.
- Hamas’ capabilities must be eliminated to prevent it from running Gaza in the post-war period.
- The Israeli government rejected the US proposal regarding the Palestinian Authority’s management of the Strip after the war.
Who has the strongest card in negotiations?
Regarding ways to find an equation between the two parties, the Democratic strategist, Ellis Henekan, said during his talk to the newsroom on “Sky News Arabia”:
- Netanyahu must respond to the calls and demands of the Israeli street.
- Both Hamas and Israel must end the suffering of the people of Gaza.
- The US government calls on Israel to modify its military plans in the Gaza Strip and move to special operations instead of the indiscriminate bombing that caused tragic destruction to the people of Gaza.
- The necessity of researching the nature of governance in Gaza after the war.
- The two parties face difficult and inevitable decisions to achieve stability in the region.
- Israel must recognize the right of the Palestinians to their homeland.
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2023-12-18 07:42:43
