War: Everyone is concerned with stopping the war... and Netanyahu is maneuvering and obstructing reaching any agreement

Abu Ghosh: A real, unified Palestinian position would force Israel to stop the war

Ghayatha: The United States seeks to save face for Israel in any prospective agreement

Bisharat: The negotiations were a response to major international transformations towards the Palestinian issue

Once again, a new meeting is being held in the French capital, Paris, in order to try to revive the process of ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip and the prisoner exchange deal between the Hamas movement and Israel. This is the third meeting since the beginning of the genocidal war on the Strip, without achieving any agreement so far, and in Every time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands up to disrupt the agreement, and this time, according to observers, it may be like the previous rounds, except that this meeting comes at a sensitive and embarrassing time for Israel.

The third meeting revealed by Axios, following the visit of CIA Director William Burns to Paris, the day before yesterday, Friday, in which Burns will discuss the file in meetings with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, and the head of the National Security Agency. Israeli intelligence (Mossad) David Barnea, as Burns is working on formulating broad lines for prisoner exchange and ceasefire talks.

The tripartite meeting comes in conjunction with the meeting of French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris with the delegation of the Ministerial Committee assigned by the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and discussed with them developments in the war on the Gaza Strip, noting that the Ministerial Committee was formed in November 2023, by decision of the Arab Summit. The exceptional Islamic conference hosted by the Saudi capital, Riyadh, at the time, to discuss the Israeli aggression against Gaza.

Since the end of last January, rounds of indirect negotiations have been held in Paris, Cairo and Doha, regarding reaching a truce in Gaza that includes the exchange of prisoners, which has not yet resulted in an agreement similar to the truce that took place late last year, and witnessed the exchange of a number of prisoners, while the meeting comes after the announcement Netanyahu's office agreed a few days ago to return to negotiations, after the head of the Information Service in Egypt, Diaa Rashwan, hinted at the possibility of withdrawing from the mediation in response to what he described as "abuses."

A new proposal put forward by an Israeli official, and being discussed, calls for concessions on the number of living Israeli detainees to be released, an implicit willingness to discuss ending the war, the full return of the displaced to their homes, and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Netzarim Corridor in the central Gaza Strip.

The indirect negotiations between the Hamas movement and Tel Aviv stopped after its last round in Cairo, with Israel insisting on continuing its attack on the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, where the attack began hours after Hamas announced on May 6 that it accepted the mediators’ proposal for a ceasefire. Fire, which she said fulfills the demands of the Palestinian people to put an end to the aggression against Gaza, the return of the displaced, and the completion of a serious deal to exchange prisoners.

In an interview with “Al-Quds”, writers and analysts believe that the new meeting in Paris is gaining special importance in light of the international pressure on Israel, which has increased its isolation, as 3 decisions were issued that were a strong blow to Israel, namely: the International Criminal Court’s decision to recommend issuing two arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant, the recognition of the State of Palestine by Spain, Norway and Ireland, and the third decision regarding the International Court of Justice’s demand that Israel not invade Rafah, while these writers and analysts believe that, despite this, Netanyahu is maneuvering again to waste time and thwart any agreement and to continue the war, in order to achieve his survival in power. .

Writer and political analyst Jihad Harb points out that although these decisions came before the meeting was held, the new negotiations give Netanyahu and his government a cover to move towards continuing the war, and disrupt the process of reaching an agreement, as Netanyahu is manipulating this step with the Egyptian-Qatari mediation, despite the fact that everyone is concerned with stopping it. The war is only for Netanyahu. He is wasting time to continue the war, and he does not find strong opposition in the Israeli street.

Harb points out that Egypt is concerned with stopping the war for considerations of its national security, and that the administration of President Joe Biden is concerned with stopping it due to the approaching US elections, and Qatar is concerned with a breakthrough and is pressing towards that, so that its mediation will be successful, in exchange for Netanyahu’s refusal, which obstructs reaching any agreement, while Harb draws attention to this. Until America wants to get the Israeli government out of its predicament, which was expressed by Biden’s call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and the agreement after that between the authority and Egypt to temporarily transfer the entry of aid into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, since starvation is part of genocide, and the American administration is trying Helping Israel in different ways.

Harb continues: Despite these attempts, the Israeli government is unwilling to help itself, despite the presence of 3 issues that constituted a blow to Israel, starting with the recommendation on the issue of arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, the recognition of 3 countries as a state in Palestine, and the recent decision not to storm Rafah, and these are issues. Israel is isolated internationally and its immunity is withdrawn, which is a historic matter as Israel retreats for the first time in 80 years, and it is no longer the same as it was before the seventh of last October.

Writer and political analyst Nihad Abu Ghosh confirms that the negotiating framework in Paris since the beginning of the war has not changed, noting the absence of the Palestinian party from the negotiations, due to American and Israeli considerations that the resistance is terrorist, and there is also a real absence from the official Palestinian leadership, as it has no influence in sector.

He points out that Israel tried to negate everything that was agreed upon, as Netanyahu does not want to conclude any agreement, and what he is trying to impose is the conclusion of an agreement that guarantees the entry of humanitarian aid without withdrawal, despite the presence of a new proposal from the Israeli War Council member Nitzan Alon, who is responsible for the file. The Israeli prisoners in the Israeli army believe that a sustainable calm, not a truce, can be accepted, but Netanyahu’s position remains uncompromising, even though Israel is in trouble, and Netanyahu is leading it to international isolation.

He stresses that what is required of the Palestinians during the coming period is to invest in overwhelming solidarity with the Palestinian cause, and this is achieved through the unity of a true Palestinian position, and that there be harmony between all forms of conflict through diplomatic and political steps, and the concerted efforts of the field struggle, which is something that enables the Palestinians to influence the Arab position. To be more effective, and thus force Israel to stop the war, pursue war criminals, and open an alternative political path to Oslo.

Professor of Political Science at Birzeit University, A. Imad Ghayatha said that success is possible in concluding an agreement through the Paris meeting, despite all the ingredients for success, as the time is appropriate as the families of the prisoners show tapes of their children detained in Gaza, as well as the decisions of the International Criminal and Justice Courts, but Netanyahu will seek to thwart any agreement.

Ghayatha points out that there are data that could disrupt what Netanyahu wants. Any pressure on the American arena will amount to pressure on the occupation, or perhaps the Israeli army leadership will not want to implement what Netanyahu wants. Ghayatha believes that the United States, through its tools, has begun to put pressure on Netanyahu.

He points out that the Israeli position may change, if there is a Security Council resolution on a project that obligates Israel to cease fire and not invade Rafah, and without the presence of an American “veto,” and that more international recognition of the State of Palestine will put the United States in an embarrassing situation, in addition to the factors The US Interior Ministry, all of which would be helpful factors in pressuring the Netanyahu government to cease fire.

Ghayatha believes that there is a possibility of resolving the situation in Gaza, especially what we witnessed with the temporary operation of the Kerem Shalom crossing, which is a new change on the ground, and concluding any agreement in which America wants to save face for Israel, but any agreement is conditional on not invading Rafah or carrying out assassinations or massacres. Because it is difficult to go to negotiations and there is a major event on the ground.

For his part, writer and political analyst Suleiman Bisharat says: “The Paris meeting came after the three international resolutions on international criminal justice and justice, and the recognition by the three countries of the State of Palestine, and after a movement in the Israeli street, which is something that pushes Netanyahu to a new maneuver with another round of negotiations. There are attempts by Netanyahu to relieve himself, and this essential point revolves around his agreement a few days ago to give the negotiating delegation approval, but it is important to point out that the delegation’s powers are technical, and it cannot conclude a deal without referring to Netanyahu, who intervenes in all the details and thwarts any agreement. .

Bisharat points out that any new proposal to reach a ceasefire that would enable Israel to carry out military operations is likely to fail any negotiations, and this is the main determinant that the Palestinian resistance does not want, if there is no guarantee through which the discussions will lead to a final cessation of the war.

According to Bisharat, Netanyahu portrays the arrival of the Israeli army to the Philadelphia axis as an image of victory, and this may put a card on the negotiating table, and he is trying to put pressure on the Palestinians to impose a new proposal on the Palestinians, which may include an attempt to accept the idea of the presence of international forces, similar to the idea of the tape. The buffer zone in southern Lebanon is a solution that Netanyahu already finds difficult to pass through the pillars of his government.

Bisharat points out that the Netanyahu government will not agree to withdraw from the Gaza Strip unless the picture changes by achieving what it considers its achievement on the ground, even though it did not achieve the goals of the war by returning its prisoners alive, nor did it end the resistance, pointing out at the same time that Netanyahu will not feel pressure. It is only possible to end the war if there is real pressure from the United States, the Zionist lobby, and escalating internal Israeli pressure.