The call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is once again in the spotlight as recent negotiations face a deadlock.
On August 8, 2024, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States issued a joint appeal for both parties to resume talks aimed at achieving a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The three nations have urged Israel and Hamas to reconvene on August 15, 2024, in either Doha or Cairo to finalize the framework agreement they have been working on for months, with only the details of implementation pending.
Speaking with Vaultz News, Mariam Khan, a researcher and third-year PhD student at Georgia State University with concentration in War and Weapon proliferation in the Middle East, offered insights into barriers to a successful ceasefire.
She opined that the issue of Israel-Palestine has multifaceted obstacles which cannot be dealt with one directional Israel proposed policy.
According to Khan, the biggest obstacle to a successful ceasefire at present, “is the presence of trust deficit, feeling of enmity and jingoism among these two rivals.”
She emphasized that no talk can be regarded as successful “if honest and genuine efforts are not being made by both sides.”
Suggesting strategies that could be employed to overcome the said obstacles, Khan noted that Israel needs to stop attacking the innocent people including women and children, and a third country, probably the USA, should play the role of a guarantor to make these talks successful.
“Unfortunately, decades of trust deficit and hostility cannot just disappear overnight, it might need genuine efforts from both camps, expanding over the months to start with.
“Moreover, Israel and Hamas should tone down their hawkish and revengeful attitude. War is not the answer. Historically all the major wars and international issues are solved eventually with table talk or negotiations.”
Miriam Khan
“Thus, negotiation should initiate with the help of third party and find solution of this religious, ideological, geographical issue for good,” Khan added.
Also, Khan noted that Egypt and USA can only initiate talks on implementing a ceasefire, but it is the decision of Israel and Hamas at the end of the day.
She pointed out that USA has its own limitations on pressuring Israel, as USA has strong economic and defense ties with Israel, and likewise Egypt cannot pressurize Hamas to accept Israel’s terms of ceasefire.
“At present, the issue is complicated, but these countries can play a vital role of guarantor in bringing peace to the region,” she said.
When asked the potential implications of the ceasefire negotiations for future peace processes in the region, the researcher remarked that if the ceasefire talk is successful in bringing normalcy in the region, “then there would be hope for the long-term prospects for stability between Israel and Palestine.”
“I emphasize on the point that it is important for leaders of both countries to understand that war, fighting, killing will not bring solution to this decades old regional problem.
“Both the parties, that is, Israel and Palestine should accept the principle of live and let live. They both can exist peacefully but again it’s the leaders who should come up with a long-term solution to this issue.”
Miriam Khan
Ideal Time For Biden To Work In Implementing Ceasefire
Moreover, Khan commented on the school of thought that the proposed ceasefire talks signal pressure on U.S.
“In today’s age, people are mostly against the war,” she expressed.
She asserted that with the US presidential elections in November, “it is obvious that the President Joe Biden wants to leave his office with the credit that he is successful in bringing both parties to a ceasefire.”
Such an achievement, she said, “would also be good for the Democratic political party as he has nominated his VP Kamala Harris as the democratic presidential candidate.”
“Thus, pleasing US citizens at the moment can be a first priority of President Biden,” Khan opined.
“Moreover, at present there has been several protests and processions in favor of ending war, it is the ideal time for President Biden to work in implementing ceasefire and gain all the public support,” she added.
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