Talks are happening today in Doha to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza. The U.S., Egypt and Qatar are helping to broker peace between Hamas and Israel after 10 months of fighting. Hamas representatives are not present in the meetings but they have said that they are still amenable to the ceasefire deal that has been on the table for weeks.
“The movement demands a clear commitment by the [Israeli] occupation to what was agreed upon on July 2, according to the clarifications conveyed by the mediators, and if that happens, the movement is ready to enter into the mechanisms for implementing the agreement,” Hamas member Suhail al-Hindi said.
According to Antiwar.com, “Hamas and Israeli negotiators have never been in the same room during negotiations…. Arab mediators recently said the only way a deal will be reached is if the US uses the significant leverage it has over Israel, which it hasn’t done.”
In fact, it has been done the other way around. Israel has put pressure on the U.S. to support its side unequivocally and the U.S. has abided. The U.S. now has warships, submarines and warplanes in the region to “deter potential attackers” but those U.S. service men and women are now directly in harm’s way for a conflict that has nothing to do with them.
