The latest round of negotiations between Hamas, Israel and mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the US, has broken down. The Israeli delegation has left Doha to return home. Some sources say they are returning for consultations with Israeli political leaders and that the talks could resume “in a few days.” But their are irreconcilable differences which seem unbridgeable.
Hostage negotiations are at a dead end because Hamas demands the return of Gazans to northern Gaza and Israel refuses. Caring little about freeing its own hostages. https://t.co/zQBlFqGl2L
— Tikun Olam 🍉 (@richards1052) April 3, 2024
According to Haaretz and Axios reporter, Barak Ravid, both Israel and the US made mistaken assumptions that the Arab mediators could get Hamas to soften its demands. Though they have agreed on a ceasefire and hostage release, it has not budged from the condition that Gaza refugees be permitted to return to their homes in northern Gaza.
Hamas understands that no one will return until there is food to eat. And that will require Israel and the US to permit the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid, which in turn will permit a return to (somewhat) normal life there. In other words, no ethnic cleansing, no permanent displacement, no Israeli settlers Judaizing Gaza, etc.
Regarding the need for humanitarian to the starving in northern Gaza, we have seen the result of Israel’s murders of the World Central Kitchen workers, who had just delivered 100 tons of food in Gaza. Shortly after they left the distribution point, three missiles struck their three vehicles as they desperately tried to save themselves. As they moved from one wrecked car to an untouched one to escape, the missiles destroyed all of them, one by one. Hamas knows that Israel will not be able to repeat such attacks if there is a ceasefire and return to the north.
Israeli officials do not want the 1.5-million Gazans to return to their homes. Their vision is that no one return–to make the north an Arab-free zone. Perhaps replace them with an equal amount of Israeli settlers whose aim would be to Judaize the enclave.
If there is a deal bringing the release of Israeli hostages and the return of the refugees, Hamas will have won a huge victory. It will be lionized throughout the Arab-Muslim world. It faced down Israel and won. Not necessarily a military victory. But it could not have happened had it not withstood the slaughter Israel inflicted on Gaza.
Netanyahu is under enormous pressure at home from hostage families, angry at his disregard for their loved ones in captivity for six months with no sign of a deal. On the one hand, he knows that if he does bring hostages home, it will give him a political boost. On the other hand, he will have given Hamas that major victory by permitting the return to northern Gaza. That will appear to the Israeli public as caving to terrorism.
He also knows that with a ceasefire, return of hostages, and the Gaza returnees, there will be enormous pressure to end the war. The end of the war means the end of his career. He is one of the most unpopular politicians in Israel. His days as the center of attention in Israeli politics will be at an end. As a supreme narcissist this will drive him crazy.
He may even go to prison. Avoiding this fate is one of the prime reason the war has continued this long. If this sounds cynical it’s because Netanyahu is one of the most cynical politicians imaginable. Cynicism is his middle name.
Israeli official: We have not succeeded on the battlefield nor with international pressure on Hamas to moderate its position. Can we recoginze this or not? We can make demands but the will not bring back hostages. If you want a deal, you must recognize reality. https://t.co/t1F2vHC05J
— Tikun Olam 🍉 (@richards1052) April 3, 2024
An Israeli official told Ravid that Israel must make up its mind: does it really want to bring the hostages home? Is it prepared to recognize it cannot win on the battlefield? If not, then the slaughter will continue with more and more horrors like the Al-Shifa hospital massacre. The answer appears to be that Netanyahu prefers endless slaughter to a negotiated solution.
Hostage relatives smear yellow paint inside Israeli parliament amid wave of protests
As thousands protest outside.
Israelis March In Front Of Parliament, Demanding Fresh Election, PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s Resignation
Gantz calls for early elections in September to ’renew trust’ in government
https://www.timesofisrael.com/gantz-calls-for-early-elections-in-september-to-renew-trust-in-government/
Netanyahu dismisses coalition partner’s appeal as ’petty politics,’ claiming elections would harm the war effort and total victory, while opposition head Lapid says Israel can’t wait six months
For decades Israelis were trained to avoid looking reality in the eye.
Unwavering, unconditional American support enabled it.
At this point the need to see reality as it is more crucial, but by now the bad habit has become ingrained nature.
You may part from reality, but you can never divorce her.
It’s not just about hostages or a prisoner swap … for Biden-Blinken to save face and assert US influence in the Middle East, the negotiations go into the end game of the day after.
Long time friends over 40 years, Biden and Netanyahu go head to head.
A long way off from Biden’s maiden year 2021 when he promised unlimited support for Israel in war with Hamas, scuttled the talks with Iran to revive the nuclear deal to satisfy both Netanyahu and Salman, worked toward close ties NATO to security in the Middle East.
Joe committed by his campaign promise, so he kept up “appearance” …
Biden rejected way forward in Iran deal talks | Responsible Statecraft |
Richard, please check your telegram account.
Thank you for the update, Richard, I hope my words won’t go against your rules. Please let me know if they do.
The question I have is – are there any homes left in North Gaza? Any infrastructures required for human life to resume? Streets? Safety? From what I have see, it’s a pile of rubble, out of which USA and its allies are building a “pier”, rubble still containing the blood and bones of the disappeared… How very “colonial power…” They all claim their own ethnic cleansing.
And from what we hear daily, Israelis are possessed with a deathly rage that doesn’t seem to be extinguishing any time soon.
This whole episode of life on earth has shocked many awake, and so much of our so-called “civilization” not looks so corrupted and lifeless for the most part, especially “world leaders.”
Author of Open Epistle to Brad Jersak?
Palestinians want their Land and of their ancestors. Will need UNRWA to live through Nakba 2.0. Global responsibility for humanitarian aid and rebuilding of towns and infrastructure. Security to be guaranteed by the five powers of UNSC. Israel’s military occupation should end definitely.
Deadly rage? For those who feel superior to their fellow men. Men/women in power know no humility.
(“Author of Open Epistle to Brad Jersak?”
It’s a self-deprecating poke at my verbosity). Kudos for reading some of it.
Palestinians want THEIR Right of Return to be honored. Sadly Israelis have created facts on the ground that are against international law and all UN resolutions and it will be a while before anything comes out of this on the right side of the toasted jam.
Palestinians – from all I know – just want their stuff back. The thieves must comply. And establish a CIVIL criminal court and consequences to deal with those who choose to default on the request.
UNWRA hopefully will recover, supported by other nations, as you mentioned. They are organized for life and survival. Unlike the present regime that’s only organized to destroy. Hopefully, as Richard noted, this is the end of this historical abomination.
Unless Bibi and his triumvirate… It may be harder to convince 60% of Israelis to go along with it.
Israelis overwhelmingly support this on going genocide largely because they have been programmed over generations, to believing that Palestinians are more like vermin than human. Israelis are also told they are on the brink of being exterminated now and at every turn. Finally, they are kept uninformed about the destruction and the slaughter.
Faced with this situation, I doubt if there is an aspiring politician who will go for a ceasefire at all unless the US forced the move and the US is ruled by too many cowards to do that.
The genocide is moving forward while Western leaders pretend to wring their hands.
Attack on the International aid workers WCK broke the camel’s back …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VED4jJXuqrk&t=1s
Biden demands immediate ceasefire in phone call with Netanyahu … playtime is over
Damn … could have done this months sooner 🔥 🔥 🔥
This might work, but probably won’t. The government’s efforts to overrule the Israeli High Court is disguised as reform. That battle is still on-going. But the IDF has been ignoring the High Court decisions for decades on illegal settlements, prisoners, bargaining chips, human shields (the neighbor policy), and etc.
See: High Court gives government six days to submit answers on Gaza humanitarian crisis
Human rights NGOs demand answers on why more border crossings have not been opened, and why Israel has blocked use of Ashdod port for supplying aid
https://www.timesofisrael.com/high-court-gives-government-six-days-to-submit-answers-on-gaza-humanitarian-crisis/
Israeli settlers in northern Gaza would merely become new hostages. Resistance fighters would pop out of a rabbit hole and carry them off as bargaining chips. These crazed, frenzied Zionists don’t seem to understand the reality on the ground. On the ground Hamas rules Gaza, not the IOF.