Gaza Ceasefire Talks Resume in Qatar But Progress Not Expected

On Monday, officials from the US, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar resumed talks on a Gaza ceasefire in Doha, but no progress is expected to be made toward a resolution ahead of the US presidential election on November 5.

Sources told The New York Times that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is waiting to see who will succeed President Biden before making any diplomatic commitments. He has also made clear he has no intention of ending the genocidal war on Gaza, repeatedly saying he would only agree to a temporary truce that would allow Israel to resume military operations.

Hamas’s position has been that any deal must include a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. But Netanyahu has insisted on keeping troops in Gaza, and his demand to maintain control of the Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border sabotaged the last round of negotiations.

Earlier this month, Haaretz reported that the Israeli government wasn’t interested in new ceasefire talks and was instead focused on pursuing the annexation of territory in Gaza. Since then, Israeli forces have killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, prompting the US to ask for new truce talks.

While Israel agreed to hold new talks, its military operations in Gaza have been relentless. Israeli forces are laying siege to northern Gaza as part of an ethnic cleansing campaign following an outline known as the “general’s plan,” which calls for the forcible displacement of Palestinian civilians from the north and the extermination of anyone who stays behind.

While the US asked Israel to re-engage in ceasefire talks, it hasn’t put any real pressure on Israel to agree to a deal since it continues to provide military aid, which Israel relies on to sustain operations in Gaza.