Attempts to negotiate a truce between Israel and Hamas remain futile given that the raging Israeli and Palestinian wars in the Gaza Strip have dragged on to the seventh month, albeit at a relatively low intensity as compared to before.
Osama Hamdan of Hamas added that the Palestinian group is still willing to come to the negotiation table for any plan that would guarantee a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
However, Arab mediators with the support of America have in the past tried and failed to broker the deal, with both parties pointing an accusing finger at the other. Hamas stresses that there should be cessation of hostilities only; Israel, on its part, contends that there will just be intermittent ceasefires until the Islamic militant group, which has been in power in Gaza since 2007, is eliminated.
Netanyahu’s diplomatic impasse has created unrest and protest determined by tens of thousands of Israelis in Tel Aviv to protest for an immediate ceasefire and the captives held in Gaza. Relatives of hostages insisted the government must not let Netanyahu “scupper the deal again” – the ongoing war could result in the hostages’ deaths.
No end of the war is in sight, and concerns are rising about a broader conflict in the area, as both Hezbollah and Israel are talking of a large-scale conflict. Experts stressed that a large-scale war in the northern zones of Israel and southern Lebanon would be catastrophic, and many countries have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible.
