Amidst growing international efforts to broker a truce in the protracted Gaza conflict, tensions remain high as both sides continue to engage in violence. Hamas, the Palestinian militant group controlling Gaza, has vehemently rejected US President Joe Biden’s optimistic assessment of progress towards a ceasefire agreement, labeling it an “illusion.”
Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, stated that the current negotiations are not about genuine dialogue but rather an attempt by the US to impose its will. These comments came in direct response to Biden’s statement on Friday that the parties are “closer than ever” to a deal, following two days of intensive talks in Qatar aimed at bridging the gap between Israel and Hamas.
While both sides have engaged in on-and-off truce talks for months, previous optimism has consistently yielded no tangible results. The current situation is further complicated by the recent killings of prominent figures from both sides. The deaths of Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah official, and Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ political leader, have ignited a wave of retaliatory threats from Hezbollah, Iran, and other Tehran-backed groups, significantly raising the stakes of the conflict.
In an attempt to avert a wider regional conflict, Western and Arab diplomats have intensified their efforts to secure a Gaza truce. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Israel on Saturday with the aim of finalizing an agreement. However, the violence continues. A deadly Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon killed 10 people, including a Syrian woman and her two children. The Israeli military claimed the strike targeted a Hezbollah weapons facility. Simultaneously, a separate airstrike in Gaza killed 15 members of a single Palestinian family, pushing the overall war death toll to a staggering 40,074. The conflict has displaced most of Gaza’s population, causing widespread damage to infrastructure and fueling the spread of diseases. The United Nations issued an urgent appeal for a seven-day ceasefire to enable polio vaccinations for children after Gaza recorded its first case of the disease in 25 years.
The negotiations for a truce are complex and multifaceted. Israel has not commented directly on the killing of Haniyeh, but claims responsibility for the death of Shukr. Meanwhile, Hezbollah released a video showcasing its military capabilities, displaying large missiles being transported through tunnels. Hamas’s attack on Israel in October, which sparked the current war, resulted in the deaths of 1,198 Israelis, mostly civilians. The militant group also took 251 hostages, with 111 remaining in Gaza, including 39 deemed dead by the Israeli military. Over 100 hostages were released during a short truce in November.
The US, Egypt, and Qatar are working to finalize a framework agreement for a phased truce, initially proposed by Israel in May. This agreement, according to the mediators, attempts to address the remaining disagreements between the parties. Negotiations are expected to resume in Cairo before the end of next week. Hamas has declined to participate in the Doha talks, demanding a timetable for implementing previously agreed-upon terms. Meanwhile, Israel has imposed new conditions on the release of prisoners, drawing criticism from some international observers. The ongoing conflict has also led to numerous displacements, with the Israeli military issuing fresh evacuation orders ahead of anticipated military operations in southern Gaza. Despite the efforts to achieve a ceasefire, the situation remains volatile, with both sides engaging in violence and the prospect of a lasting truce seemingly distant.
