Can the Gaza deal bring lasting peace?
Following last Thursday's approval by Israel and Hamas on an agreement which includes the release of Israeli hostages and a ceasefire, the mediating states signed an accord on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Monday, after more than two years of war. Further steps towards peace are now to be negotiated. Commentators voice a mixture of scepticism and hope.
Sustained engagement needed
We can only hope that now that the peace deal is in place Trump's commitment won't slacken over the lengthy period of implementation, notes The Irish Times:
“For Trump, the challenge is to convert a moment of spectacle into something more stable. His instincts favour deals, not follow-through. But without sustained engagement, money, diplomacy, and restraint, the situation could slide quickly back into chaos. For Israelis and Palestinians, yesterday’s events may offer only a brief reprieve. Still, in a conflict defined by its futility, even a fleeting sense of relief carries weight. It reminds us that the machinery of peace can move, as long as someone, however improbably, decides to turn the key.”
Where the US President got it wrong
Middle East expert Mikhail Krutichin contradicts three points in Trump's statements in a Telegram post republished by Echo:
“1. Trump: 'The war in Gaza is over.' That is not true. Not only has Hamas not been destroyed, it has not even been defeated. There will be no one who doesn't support Hamas in Gaza. Hamas has already begun to ensure that. 2. Trump ended the war. Not quite. It was not the Americans who forced the release of the hostages but the Israelis with the Gaza offensive Gideon's Chariot 2, and the surprise attack on Qatar. ... Trump merely played a supportive diplomatic role here. 3. Trump's 'peace in the Middle East' will remain an empty slogan for many years to come if there is no Israeli military solution in Gaza.”
Israel should reach out to Iran
Donald Trump's speech in the Knesset on Monday could pave the way for a long-term solution across the Middle East, Politiken believes:
“Trump is also right in saying that Israel should reach out to Iran. ... The Gaza war and its geopolitical consequences have changed the Middle East and opened up new opportunities. Israel has been strengthened militarily, but weakened diplomatically. The Palestinian cause has become an important issue in many parts of the West. There has been a regime change in Syria, and Hezbollah has been weakened. The Arab countries seem willing to help create a lasting solution. The time to create a new Middle East has come, and Trump also seems willing to push for it.”
Europe can only stand by and watch
Once again our continent has merely stood on the sidelines, Die Welt's Global Reporter Constantin Schreiber notes:
“Never before has our irrelevance been so clearly and openly displayed as now, when world history may be being written in the Middle East and Europe can only stand by and watch. ... When he saw images of the Freedom Flotilla, an Arab Israeli recently told me that Greta Thunberg symbolises Europe for him: no longer to be taken seriously. Only useful for its financial contributions, at best. ... The Gaza war marked not just a regional turning point. It has confronted us Europeans with a reality that must give us serious pause for thought.”
Two-state solution still the goal
Ending the war is a joint task, emphasises Der Spiegel:
“And European governments must not stay out of it. It is up to Berlin in particular to assert its own influence on Jerusalem. After all, Germany is still Israel's most important partner after the US - and as an ally it can build bridges to large parts of the world that see Israel as a pariah because of its devastating warfare. For a long time, the two-state solution was something Western governments only paid lip service to. ... Nevertheless, it remains the only prospect for sustainable peace in the region. Now it's up to Europe to bring it to life - once Trump has moved on to end another war.”
On shaky ground
Hamas's actions on the streets of Gaza demonstrate how fragile the peace still is, The Economist stresses:
“The Islamist militant group is already busy trying to create a post-war reality in Gaza. It has deployed thousands of men to patrol the streets, carrying rifles but often dressed in civilian clothes. Details are patchy, but over the past few days they have been involved in fierce clashes with other Palestinians. ... All of this points to the urgent need for a post-war security force, as Mr Trump's plan envisions. Gaza is awash in guns and desperate people, and Hamas has no interest in relinquishing its own weapons. Unless the world comes up with an alternative, what lies ahead is likely to be more repression and chaos.”