Gaza at the Negotiating Table Again: Is a Breakthrough Possible?

Written by Elijah J. Magnier:

The issue of war on Gaza remains critical, with ceasefire negotiations now taking precedence for the United States, Israel, and the axis of resistance. The Israeli military officials in charge of the talks about the ceasefire in Gaza stated the intention to resign if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the negotiation offer and fails to initiate a halt to military operations. War Council member, minister, and former army commander Gadi Eizenkot acknowledged that “returning the captives is very painful (given Hamas’s conditions), but inevitable.” Similarly, minister and former War Council member Benny Gantz urged the prime minister “to ratify the deal, which is a courageous but hard and necessary decision.”

Netanyahu has agreed to start the negotiation process, carefully selecting necessary wording to outline Gaza’s future while avoiding clashes with his government allies. However, he has committed to ending the war only “after achieving all its goals (destroying Hamas and freeing all captives).” The challenge for Netanyahu is balancing the fatigue and exhaustion of his army with the minister’s extremist demands for an unrelenting continuation of the war.