The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
TROUBLE WITH A CEASEFIRE
Why Benjamin Netanyahu wants a prolonged conflict with Hamas
Itseemsthatisraelandhamashaveaceasefire deal on the table, and the details are missing. The United States and its allies Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have been putting all their diplomatic resources into this effort. Arab and American mediators have met several times in Cairo, Doha, Tel Aviv and even Riyadh to hammer out an arrangement that Benjamin Netanyahu and Yahya Sinwar of Hamas will not be able to decline. Such a deal needed the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas and a ceasefire agreement from Israel.
Qatar has been the chief mediator and host for negotiations. The formula is that Hamas will agree to release the hostages in return for the thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons and a six-week ceasefire. America took the burden of stopping Israel from any further ground military operation in the city of Rafah of south Gaza, withdrawing the Israeli army from Gaza and speeding humanitarian aid. Expressing frustration over the lack of cooperation from Hamas and the Israeli government, Qatar wanted to end its mediationeffortslastmonth.majedal-ansari, advisor to Qatar’s Prime Minister and spokesperson for the foreign ministry, said in an interview with the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that every time they are close to a deal, there is sabotage from both sides. Soon after, the negotiations shifted from Doha to Cairo, and Egypt took over as mediator. Whether in Cairo or Doha, America, Egypt, and Qatar are the trio of mediators desperate for a breakthrough. Much to their credit, they have successfully kept the negotiations alive, even after hitting constant dead ends.
Strangely, Hamas has been playing tough on a ceasefire deal. Its leaders, many of them violent extremists, seem to think they have “won” the war because Israel seems to have lost in Gaza. This is bizarre, keeping in mind the magnitude of destruction and loss of life Palestinians have endured. The mastermind of the October 7 attacks, Yahya Sinwar, is safe in Gaza’s tunnels and recently emerged for sunlight. He has managed to keep more than 130 hostages in captivity and is the final authority on the deal from Hamas’s side. He does not seem concerned about a ceasefire deal even if there is a famine-like situation for ordinary Gazans. He appears to be banking on more strategic failures by Israel and the delegitimisation of the tragedy of October 7.
Much to Sinwar’s liking, many “progressive” minded people across the world are standing for a “free Palestine” without much condemnation of his religious ideology or the violent means employed by him in the name of liberation. Moreover, the Israeli army has failed to catch him for over seven months and the US and European countries have warned Israel against increasing ground operations in Rafah, where three to four battalions of Hamas are reportedly intact.
Asreflectedintheongoingstudentprotests in the US and other places, many have blamed Israel for the calamities faced by civilians in Gaza. Benjamin Netanyahu’s immediate worries are not the hostages but saving himself from the arrest warrant of the International Criminal Court and his government. After weeks of delay, in a surprise move, Hamas acceptedtheceasefiredealatlast.netanyahuand his war cabinet had already instructed the army to evacuate more than 2,00,000 people from Rafah and move in with ground forces. Hamas’s sudden agreement may not have pleased Netanyahu and some of his cabinet members,whoareadamantaboutmorefighting. War is often a means to politics, so there aremanyontheisraelisideandthepalestinian side rejecting the ceasefire.
Soon after Hamas’ agreement — the details of this are still vague — there were more popular protests against Netanyahu. Families and friends of hostages have been blocking significant highways in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, sitting in front of ministers’ homes and offices for an immediate ceasefire. The Israel Democracy Institute, a prestigious think tank, found that more than 56 per cent of Israelis want their government to make a deal and not carry out any military operations in Rafah or other parts of Gaza.
If this deal goes through, Israel will receive 33 hostages (both dead and alive) in the first round,andtheceasefirehastostayforthenext round, which will see another 30-odd hostages set free. It will go a long way for the familiesofhostagesandforthepeopleofgaza, who also rejoiced when the news came out that Hamas is agreeing to a ceasefire.
The writer is associate professor and director, Centre for Israel Studies, Jindal School of International Affairs, O P Jindal Global University, Sonipat
Benjamin Netanyahu’s immediate worries are not the hostages but saving himself from the arrest warrant of the International Criminal Court and his government. After weeks of delay, in a surprise move, Hamas accepted the ceasefire deal at last. Hamas’s sudden agreement may not have pleased Netanyahu and some of his cabinet members, who are adamant about more fighting.