Secretary of State John Kerry and other officials are talking up “progress” made on the attempts to broker a Gaza ceasefire, though so far the indications are that neither Hamas nor the Israeli government are on board.
US officials indicated that the goal was to get a ceasefire first, and then do some negotiation to try to come up with a settlement afterwards. Both Hamas and Israel, by contrast, are pushing demands that they want before ceasing fire.
It’s not just that they don’t trust post-war talks, though they surely don’t. Rather, each side is desperate to paint each of these wars as a “victory,” and needs some concession they can put forward as proof they won.
Hamas has made its 10-point demands public, with the main goals ending the blockade of the strip, and allowing the Gaza airport and seaport to reopen under UN supervision.
Israel, by contrast, hasn’t made their specific goals that clear, though destroying every single tunnel in the strip and eliminating all rocket fire seem to be top of the list.
Hamas wouldn’t need the tunnels if the blockade was lifted, though Israel is unlikely to agree to that, and Hamas similarly isn’t going to agree to wholesale disarmament that would threaten their control of the strip against rival factions.
Since 1948 the Palestine resistence to a most brutal occupation has been non-violent to a fault, while aggressive and war-hawk Israel has used any excuss to kill, kill and kill some more.
That is why an ever increasing numbers of Israelis are now speaking against the occupation. Numbers of these people would grow even faster if the Israel's media is free. http://libertarianinselfexile.blogspot.hk/2014/07…
Hamas has reasonable requests, Israel has permanent malice, and greed.
The 10-point plan put forth by Hamas is actually pretty darned good, and- assuming Israel and Hamas were to abide by it -would allow for peace and allow for Gaza to rebuild and be able to be self-sustaining to a large degree, and would remove the prime reason(s) for Hamas' hatred of Israel. Remember, Hamas just didn't appear out of thin air one day- it owes its existence to the need to resist Israeli arrogance.
The UN should take control, govern, and defend Gaza and in exchange Israel will lift the blockade and stop mowing down the Palestinians.