Conflict and Peace

Thousands of people converged on southern Israel on Tuesday 7 October to mourn the dead as the nation marked two years since the attack of two years ago that plunged the region into a devastating war, while Israel and Hamas hold indirect talks in Egypt. The negotiations between the two sides being held in the resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh have been "positive" so far, two sources close to the Palestinian militants' negotiating team told AFP, with discussions set to resume later on Tuesday. Mediators were shuttling between Israeli and Hamas delegations under tight security. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told reporters in Cairo, negotiations were underway for a "first phase" of the agreement, adding the discussions were focused on creating "the climate on the ground to complete the step of releasing the hostages". Trump has urged negotiators to "move fast" to end the war in Gaza, where Israeli strikes continued on Monday. Trump told Newsmax TV that "I think we're very, very close to having a deal... I think there's a lot of goodwill being shown now. It's pretty amazing actually".

The 20-point American plan for Gaza seeks to take Hamas out of the Gaza equation. This is necessary but not easy. Hamas has become part of the Gaza fabric. It will reinvent itself as many Islamist movements have done elsewhere. But its leaders must go, after they released all the hostages they still kept from the 7 October attack. Then the process of building a new Gaza must start: infrastructure, institutions, and more importantly, the spirit and soul of the Palestinian people. Israel's plans for the annexation of Gaza are out, as is the talk of resettling Palestinians elsewhere. Gaza is, and will remain, Palestine. One can see that rebuilding the infrastructure will happen quickly. Establishing security can also happen if countries contribute forces, and if the international force has a clear mandate. Institutions will take longer, and much will depend on what is happening in the wider Palestinian spectrum, and Israel’s readiness to honour its part of the deal. It is unlikely that Hamas will hand power to anyone but the Palestinian Authority, and this is one of the points that will have to be negotiated. Rebuilding the Palestinian spirit will take years, and healing the trauma of the last two years will be difficult, will take time, but is doable. The American plan has some interesting ideas, but the US must be ready to work with diverse partners, especially in the Middle East, the Muslim world, and Europe. The plan misses one vital point. It does not commit to a two-state solution. Apparently, the Israelis opposed this. The plan, in article 19, says: “While Gaza re-development advances, and when the PA (Palestinian Authority) reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognise as the aspiration of the Palestinian people”. Not good enough! But for the moment the world, and more importantly the Palestinian people, must accept the American plan, and make the most of it.