Hopes are rising that Israel and Hamas could be inching closer to a ceasefire in the 20-month war in Gaza.
Author
- Marika Sosnowski
Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne
US President Donald Trump is urging progress, taking to social media to demand:
MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!
Trump further raised expectations, saying there could be an agreement between Israel and Hamas "within the next week".
But what are the prospects for a genuine, lasting ceasefire in Gaza?
Ceasefires are generally complicated to negotiate because they need to take into account competing demands and pressures. They usually (but not always ) require both sides to compromise.
Gaza is no exception. In a conflict that has been going on for more than 70 years, compromise and concession have become a game of cat and mouse.
Israel is the cat that holds the military strength and the majority of the political power. Hamas is the mouse that can dart and delay, but in the end has little choice but to accept the terms of a ceasefire if it wants to halt the violence currently being inflicted on Palestinians.
Trump the peacemaker?
Trump appears buoyed by what he perceives as the recent success of his efforts to broker a truce in the Israel-Iran war. He may think he can use similar tactics to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into making a ceasefire deal for Gaza.
Netanyahu will return to Washington next week for talks at the White House. This is a good sign some US pressure is being brought to bear.
Trump's current push for a Gaza ceasefire may also signal he is keen for a return to the normalisation of economic ties previously delivered by the Abraham Accords between Israel and various Arab states. A ceasefire could unlock frozen regional relationships, potentially boosting the US economy (and Trump's own personal wealth).
Israeli opportunities
Another positive sign a ceasefire may be on the cards is Netanyahu's recent comments that the war with Iran had created opportunities for Israel in Gaza.
During its 12-day war with Iran, Israel assassinated 30 Iranian security chiefs and 11 nuclear scientists. Iran's weakened security apparatus might disrupt its support for Hamas and help advance Israeli objectives.
Similar to what happened in Iran, this might enable Netanyahu to publicly declare Israeli victory in Gaza and agree to a ceasefire without losing face or political backing from his government's right wing.
Domestic Israeli politics have also played a role in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations. As part of the current round, Trump reportedly demanded the cancellation of Netanyahu's ongoing trial on corruption charges. The idea is to enable Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire without the threat of criminal conviction, and potentially prison, awaiting him afterwards.
Given there are no political or legal prescriptions or rules around what terms need to be included in a ceasefire, it is possible for such a demand to be made, although it is unclear how it would be accommodated by Israeli law.
Difficult terms
The current ceasefire deal, as proposed by Qatar and Egypt, seems to pick up where the deal negotiated in January fell apart - with a 60-day ceasefire .
Reports suggest it requires Hamas' leadership to go into exile and that four Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, would be tasked with jointly governing Gaza.
Hamas has said for many months that it is open to a more permanent ceasefire deal that Israel has so far refused . However, the proposed terms appear too far-reaching to make it likely Hamas would accept them in their current form.
The uptick in Israel's military bombardment , as well as recent evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza, suggest that even if there is a deal it may well mean Israel retains permanent territorial control of the northern Gaza Strip.
As part of any ceasefire, it also seems likely Israel would retain control over all Gaza crossings .
This, and the ongoing highly problematic promotion by Israel and the United States of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as the only organisation authorised to deliver and administer aid in Gaza, will be difficult for Hamas, and Palestinians, to accept.
There have also been reports a deal would enable Gazans wishing to emigrate to be absorbed by several as-yet-unnamed countries. Such a term would continue the Trump administration's earlier calls for the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, as well as Israel's insistence such displacement would be a humanitarian initiative rather than a war crime .
It would also not be the first time the terms of a ceasefire were used to forcibly displace civilian populations.
Hope for the future?
Many dynamics are wrapped up in getting to a ceasefire in Gaza.
They include US allyship and pressure, domestic Israeli politics, and the recent war between Israel and Iran. There is also the international opprobrium of Israel's actions in Gaza which, for public (if not legal) purposes, amount to a genocide .
Ideally, any negotiated ceasefire would have detailed terms to ensure the parties know what they should do and when. Detailed terms would also enable international actors and other third parties to denounce any violations of the deal.
However, a ceasefire would only ever be a short-term win. In the best case, it would enable a reduction in violence and an increase of aid into Gaza, and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
However, amid the deep-seated sense of injustice and anxiety in the region, any ceasefire that does not address historic oppression and is forced on the parties would inevitably have deleterious consequences in the months and years to come.
Marika Sosnowski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
