By: Charlotte Tilden’25
Since conflicts ramped up over a year ago, there is potential for peace talks in the Middle East.
It all began on Oct. 7, 2023, when militants stormed southern Israel. Now, almost two years later, peace between Israel and Hamas might finally be within reach.
During the initial invasion, 1200 were killed and 250 abducted. About one-third of the hostages are held in Gaza. Since then, the casualties have only risen, with more than 46,000 Palestinians killed in the conflict.
Negotiations have sped up with the presidential inauguration which took place on Jan. 20, marking the end of President Joe Biden’s term and the beginning of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s term. Many key political figures have spoken out hopefully confirming that peace is imminent.
Former President Biden said that both parties were “on the brink” of reaching a deal. Not only Former President Biden but also President Trump seems confident that peace is near.
“We are very close to getting it done, and they have to get it done. If they don’t get it done, there’s going to be a lot of trouble out there,” President Trump said during an interview with Newsmax.
There have been important strides in negotiations.
Recently, a Hamas official said via text message that there’s been progress, and that a deal is possible as long as Israel does not change their stance.
On the opposite side, Israeli officials said that there is a draft agreement, and it is awaiting Hamas’s approval. Other Israeli officials have also come out and stated that the optimal conditions for an agreement have been created.
The agreement would allow “Israel to maintain a buffer zone in Gaza during its implementation, and that Israeli forces would not leave the territory until the release of all hostages. They also said it would allow displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza to return to the North while ‘unspecified arrangements were enforced,” Israeli officials said.
This ceasefire has brought in several world figures.
Both Quatar and Egypt have acted as mediators between Israel and Hamas. The two countries communicate through the Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani and Egypt’s Direct of General Intelligence Service Major General Hassan Rashad.
Hamas’s lead negotiator is Khalil al-Hayya, who is senior Hamas official based. While Israel’s lead negotiators are David Barnea, who is the chief of foreign intelligence, Ronen Bar who is the head of the Shin Bet, which is a domestic security service and Major General Nitzan Alon of the Israeli military.
The United States had also had influence on the peace negotiations.
The director of the C.I.A., Bill Burns, and the senior White House official, Brett McGurk, have spent time in the Middle East, pushing for a decision between the two countries.
President Trump has also gotten involved. Steve Witkoff, a Middle East envoy for Trump, has traveled to Qatar and Israel where he’s met with officials.
Now that there is potential for peace, it is important to recognize key issues in the conflict. A key problem that has been a concern for both parties is the permanency of a cease fire.
Hamas has demanded a complete end to the war.
In contrast, Netanyahu is pushing for a “partial” deal. A “partial” deal means that Israel could resume the war after the hostages were free.
Hopefully, in the coming months both parties will be able to reach a final decision that will ensure peace and stability for centuries to come.
Until then, the only thing the rest of the world can do is watch and wait while history and the future of peace in the Middle East writes itself.
THE BEAR FACTS 