Negotiations for a truce in the Gaza Strip remain deadlocked as the month of Ramadan approaches. The deadline set by Egyptian and Qatari mediators to reach an agreement on the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinians held in Israel and an influx of aid to the Palestinian enclave may not be met. The two warring parties being still at odds over the very nature of this agreement.
The Islamist movement has demanded a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces to bring an end to the war, which has claimed more than 30,000 lives over five months, and to start rebuilding the devastated territory. Israel, meanwhile, has refused to talk about what's to happen after the war, or any political transition in Gaza. It has presented the ceasefire simply as a pause and a means of freeing hostages, before resuming the destruction of Hamas's military and governing capabilities.
On Thursday, March 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed once again that the Israeli infantry would eventually lead the assault on Rafah, where more than 1.3 million Palestinians have taken refuge, despite pressure from the international community and the US to dissuade him. Israel has said it has been put off by Hamas's tougher demands. "Hamas has two options: surrender or death. There is no third option," stated Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The Hamas delegation had left Cairo that morning after three days of talks. Israel "refuses to commit to and give guarantees regarding the cease-fire, the return of the displaced, and withdrawal from the areas of its incursion," said the movement's spokesman, Jihad Taha. The Islamist movement has nevertheless said that it would resume these talks next week.
In Cairo, as in Doha, the negotiators have shown their determination to continue their mediation for as long as it takes. Acknowledging a "difficult negotiation," the US administration has been pushing for a compromise. "We continue to believe that obstacles are not insurmountable and a deal can be reached," said Matthew Miller, US State Department spokesperson, on Wednesday.
The optimism displayed by the negotiators has been tinged with doubts behind the scenes. "The mediators are pessimistic about the possibility of a negotiated outcome to the war. None of the parties has any interest in giving up: Neither Hamas, for whom the hostages are their life insurance; nor Benjamin Netanyahu, for whom a military victory is the key to his political salvation," said a source in contact with the negotiators.
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