After more than one and a half months of the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas, a hostage deal was reached between the parties. According to multiple sources including the BBC, the representatives of the parties have reached a hostage exchange deal in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, mediated by Qatar and Egypt. The deal will lead to a four-day ceasefire between the parties, along with the release of 50 Hamas-held Israeli hostages and 150 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. These are definitely notable developments in the war, which has by this time killed more than fifteen thousand Israelis and Palestinians, along with a humanitarian crisis affecting more than two million people in the Gaza Strip.
Though the Israel-Hamas hostage deal does not indicate the end of the Gaza war, it has definitely created a path toward further peace mediation and talks between the parties, leaving the chance of the extension of the ceasefire — or making further ceasefire deals — and ending the war with a peace deal. But whether talks will continue between the parties and whether further peace mediation will be successful remain unclear. Both parties have vowed to resume fighting as soon as the Doha ceasefire expires. According to multiple newspapers, while Israel has warned that it will reinforce its military operation, Hamas has indicated that it will continue its fighting. But the success of the Qatar mediation that brought the parties to discussion tables will at least provide more space for further peace mediation and talks between the parties and reaching acceptable solutions to the Gaza war and probably beyond, even if uncertainty remains on their immediate success.
But strengthened mediation efforts are crucial to reach acceptable solutions to the Gaza war. Some factors including Israel’s aim to undo Hamas in response to its last month’s sudden attacks on Israelis may put hindrances to peace mediation and further talks between the parties to ending the Gaza war. But it remains unclear whether Hamas will be completely eradicated and unable to put further threats to Israel with the current military operations of the latter, given that the Palestinian group has a large number of fighters, a presence in several other areas, along with Gaza, and links with several regional powers and organizations. But for peace between Israel and Palestine, the ending of the Israel-Palestine crisis, along with the Gaza war, with a two-state solution is also crucial.
A two-state solution is definitely beneficial for the parties —Israel and Palestine. It will not only end hostilities and bring peace between the parties but also end the long-time hostile relationship between Israel and Arab countries driven by the Israel-Palestine crisis. Consequently, while Palestine will be able to act as a functionally sovereign country with its functional state organs, Israel will be free from further security threats from Palestinians including Hamas and be able to improve its relations with Arab countries, leading to peaceful and prosperous conditions in the Israel-Palestine region and beyond. But further mediation steps are definitely crucial to resolve the long Israel-Palestine crisis, along with ending the Gaza war.
Amir M Sayem
Chief Editor
Dhaka Opinion Magazine
