The recently halted Gaza war has provided an opportunity to restart negotiations, through which it is hoped that a fair and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict can be reached.
By
Musthafa Abd Rahman/MAHDI MUHAMMAD
·5 minutes read
Kompas
Palestinians celebrate in the streets following a ceasefire brokered by Egypt between Israel and the ruling Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip, on May 21, 2021 in Gaza City. - A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist movement which controls the Gaza Strip, came into force early on May 21, 2021 after 11 days of deadly fighting that pounded the Palestinian enclave and forced countless Israelis to seek shelter from rockets.
KAIRO, KOMPAS - The 11-day Gaza escalation, which came to a close on May 20, has brought back awareness to the international community about the urgency to resume the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations.
Egypt, which played a major role in last week\'s ceasefire, is actively communicating with regional and international powers to revive the Middle East peace process for a fair and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.
The last Palestinian-Israeli talks were held between 2013 and 2014 under the initiative of US Secretary of State John Kerry, which fell short of producing any progress.
Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi, as quoted by Al Ahram on Saturday (22/5), said Egypt was willing to work with the US to revive the Middle East peace process. The two-state solution is expected to meet Palestinians’ hopes for a state on the land as it was demarcated in 1967 with the capital in East Jerusalem.
The Gaza war between Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, especially Hamas, and Israel ended early Friday (21/5) morning after a truce was reached. The Palestinian Health Ministry on Sunday released a report that the war had killed 248 people, including 66 children, 39 women and 17 elderly people, and injured 2,000. Around 17,000 houses were damaged, some totally destroyed and some others receiving serious or minor damage.
On the Israeli side, 12 people were killed, including a child and a soldier, while as many as 336 had to be rushed to hospitals.
On Friday afternoon, two teams of Egyptian diplomats left for Israel and Gaza to meet with policymakers on both sides to ensure that the situation is maintained in the long term. In Palestine, the Egyptian mediation team spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leaders.
Kompas
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, second right, meets with Palestinian Fatah official Azzam Al-Ahmad at the foreign ministry in Cairo, Thursday, May 20, 2021.
An Egyptian diplomat with knowledge of the teams dispatches said that among the issues discussed were the fraying violence at the Al Aqsa Mosque and the threat of Palestinian displacement from the Sheikh Jarrah district.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to visit Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Egypt starting Wednesday (26/5). The US State Department said Blinken’s mission was to ensure the ceasefire was maintained, discuss the implementation of rebuilding the Gaza Strip, and seek to bring Palestine and Israeli back to peace talks.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said it was possible for Egypt to offer to host the peace negotiations. The Gaza war, said Shoukry, reminded the world about responsibilities to immediately help create a fair and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.
The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, also called for Palestine and Israel to continue talks on the two-state solution scheme initiated by the international community.
Calls for an amicable solution were also voiced by Ayman Odeh, the leader of the main Arab party in the Knesset (Israeli parliament). "There are two groups of people here. Both have the right to determine their own destiny,” he said.
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said efforts to bring lasting peace to the region would necessitate principle policies on security issues.
AFP/MOHAMMED ABED
TOPSHOT - Palestinian children who have returned to their neighbourhood, stare at the damaged from their home, hit by Israeli bombardment in Gaza City, after a ceasefire brokered by Egypt between Israel and Hamas, on May 21, 2021. - A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist movement which controls the Gaza Strip, appeared to hold today after 11 days of deadly fighting that pounded the Palestinian enclave and forced countless Israelis to seek shelter from rockets.
Hamas-Fatah union
Regarding internal issues within Palestine, as reported by the Arabic language daily Asharq al-Awsat on Sunday (23/5), regional and international powers have begun to push for the formation of a national unity government for Hamas and Fatah.
This will enable safeguard of the ceasefire, the establishment project in the Gaza Strip, and restart of the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.
Both Hamas and Fatah reportedly welcome the regional and international aspirations, saying they are willing to open negotiations for the Palestinian national unity government.
According to Asharq al-Awsat, the United Nations, the European Union, Russia, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar have been immediately involved in coordinating the efforts. Qatar and Egypt will use their influence to press against Hamas leaders. As for the UN, the EU, Russia, Egypt and Jordan will try to lobby Abbas, the leader of Fatah and the president of Palestine.
Germany and France are now also starting to study efforts to open communication with Hamas. Citing top European officials, Al Jazeera television reported that Germany and France are starting to see Hamas as part of the Palestinian solution and open communication with Hamas, with Egypt or Qatar being the mediator.
Martin Indyk, former US ambassador to Israel and former US special envoy to the Middle East, said on Saturday that the US had held indirect communication with Hamas through Egypt’s mediation role to achieve the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Hamas is on the US terrorist organization list.
In New York, the UN Security Council on Saturday called on Palestine and Israel to respect the ceasefire and pointed out the importance to immediately realize comprehensive peace on the basis of the existence of two democratic states of Israel and Palestine that live peacefully side by side in the legally recognized land. (AP/REUTERS)
