https://arab.news/2p2qz
Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire during talks with American, Turkish, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators. The first phase involves Israel stopping the bombing and withdrawing from Gaza to an agreed line. Hamas, in turn, will return all hostages within 72 hours of the agreement.
The question we must ask ourselves now is what prevents Israel from resuming its bombing campaign once the hostages are returned? And what can Arab and Islamic countries do to prevent such a scenario, which some might say is probable?
From the Hamas point of view, the hostages are the only card the group holds that provides leverage over Israel. It is also important to note that two years of war has greatly weakened the group. However, the situation on the ground pushed everyone to converge on US President Donald Trump’s plan; Gaza was undergoing a genocide, people were starving, and an immediate solution was needed.
There is little reason to believe that the ceasefire will successfully progress to the next phase, however. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needed to accept the ceasefire because the pressure on his government was increasing, not only internationally but domestically as well, with the plight of the hostages providing fuel for opposition parties. However, we should not forget that during the past two ceasefire agreements, Israel recovered some of the hostages and then resumed its genocide.
