THis illness and injury have occurred in the last 16 months will return through families, communities and the Middle East in the coming decades. On Thursday, the bodies of two young children and their mother, and an 83 -year -old peace activist, were returned to Israel by Hamas. They were seized on October 2023 raids in which the militants killed nearly 1,200 Israelis and so on. Around 48,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its war in response.
It is always afraid that the ceal of ceasefire, which brought much need for Palestinians to Gaza and the return of Israel and foreign hostages, will fly. The six -week phase of the opening is due to expiry on March 1. The conversations in the more complex second stage have not begun, more than a twice after they are supposed to be.
There are two glimmers of hope. The first is the noticeable confidence of the Envoy of the Middle East by Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, in declaring last weekend that “Phase Two will start completely”. The second is the Hamas, military batter and under pressure within Gaza and from the Arab governments, said that in the next stage will be willing to release all the remaining hostages at the same time, rather that in staggered groups. In return, it wants the complete and quick removal of the military from Gaza and the release of the road -more Palestinians held by Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu reported that this phase would be a condition for the disarming of Hamas and the end of its existence in Gaza.
Israel’s prime minister did not want to cross Mr. Trump. But it is not yet in his interest to reach Phase Two, at least because of the threat that extremist coalition member Bezalel Smotrich may walk. His security leaders have long believed that politics is the biggest obstacle to a deal. Now he removed them from the negotiation team, replacing them with his properly connected Ron Dermer, who could try to miss Mr. Witkoff and deal with Mr. Trump directly.
In this final stage, expanding phase one will be better than nothing. The agreement and implementation of Phase Two, which is naturally more difficult, will be a key step forward. But the immense question of phase three looms: what is the form of formation in Gaza. Mr. Trump’s disgusting announcement that Palestinians should make way for a US ownership of “Riviera of the Middle East”-Mr. Netanyahu-a-a discussion took place -Sidestepped it may be derails, as well as due to natural complexity.
Cleaning the Palestinians will require countries willing to take it. Although Egypt and Jordan are deeply relied on the US help, their leaders cannot comply. Arab countries will meet in Riyadh on Friday as they scramble for an alternative plan, discussing Cairo’s rapidly drawn proposal in which the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and others will fund rebuilding, including Hamas formally excluded from the management and administration of the work. Although they will find a theoretical solution that can work, Mr. Trump needs to be found in agreement. Meanwhile, with the hostages held, and with conditions in Gaza left, the priority should maintain a ceasefire. Whether or not it can be the foundation of a long -term response to this crisis, it is still important to save life today.
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