The news of Israel’s announcement – yesterday, Thursday – of the killing of the head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Yahya Sinwar, received great attention from American newspapers. One of them warned against exaggerating the event, while another believed that it might pave the way for a ceasefire agreement, while a third ruled out that it would represent… turning point.
The New York Times published an article by well-known writer Thomas Friedman in which he warned against exaggerating the importance of the event, expressing his belief that the killing of Sinwar indicates the possibility of moving forward with a “bigger step” towards a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians since the Oslo Accords.
Although he described the killing of Sinwar as a major event, he added that his death alone is not a sufficient condition for ending the Gaza war and putting Israelis and Palestinians on the path to a better future.
He claimed that Sinwar and Hamas had always rejected the two-state solution and were committed to destroying the “Jewish state,” adding that no one had paid a greater price than the Palestinians in Gaza.
Although he believes that eliminating Sinwar was necessary in order for the next step to be implemented, his death does not mean everything. The satisfactory condition – in his belief – is that Israel has a leader and a ruling coalition ready to seize the opportunity that occurred Thursday.
Friedman asked: “Can Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu live up to his Churchill image and go along with something he previously rejected?”, referring to Winston Churchill, who many consider to be the greatest who served as prime minister in Britain twice, the first during World War II. Between 1940 and 1945 and the second between 1951 and 1955.
It was reported from American, Arab and Israeli diplomatic sources – details of whose identities were not revealed – that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and three Arab leaders discussed, during the past month or so, ideas related to what should be done the “next day” to end the war and to rebuild Gaza “afterward.” agitation”.
He revealed that the general idea is for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to agree to appoint economist and former Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad – whom Friedman describes as having an excellent reputation for integrity – to lead a new technocratic government, reform the Palestinian Authority, root out corruption, and modernize its governance and security forces.
He said that the reformed Palestinian Authority would formally request – and participate in – an international peacekeeping force that would include forces from the UAE and Egypt, and perhaps from other Arab countries and even European countries, to replace the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip.
However, Netanyahu realizes that the Arabs will not participate in an Arab or international peacekeeping force to “clean up the mess” in Gaza unless it is part of a process that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state, according to Friedman.
As for the Washington Post, it agreed with Friedman that the martyrdom of Sinwar may pave the way for a ceasefire and the “long-awaited” release of prisoners.
The newspaper’s editorial board claimed that Sinwar’s hands were “stained with the blood of Palestinians and Israelis,” and that civilian deaths also resulted from his decisions, as she put it.
However, what does not seem more clear – in her opinion – is whether his killing will hasten the end of the conflict. However, she believes that the killing of Sinwar could create an opportunity to renew talks on a ceasefire agreement and the release of prisoners.
She believed that the opportunity was ripe for Netanyahu, and he must seize it and resist his “arrogant” tendency and the advice given to him by members of the extreme right in his government.
The newspaper advised US President Joe Biden on the need to persevere in pushing Israel towards implementing a ceasefire deal and containing the mutual missile war with Iran, noting that “his argument is now stronger than before to force Israel to stop postponing a strategic plan for the post-Hamas era.” And after the war on Gaza.
Not a turning point
In turn, Foreign Policy magazine reported the analysis of Daniel Byman, a professor at Georgetown University, who confirmed that “Israel’s assassination of Sinwar does not represent a turning point.”
Although Byman, who is also a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the death of the Hamas leader may represent a political victory for Netanyahu, he stressed that Israel is still far from reaching a realistic plan to govern Gaza.
“But what kind of Hamas will rise after Sinwar?” Byman asks, answering that he believes that “the devastating Israeli campaign against the movement and Gaza will represent a lesson to its future leaders about the dangers of confronting a stronger and more determined enemy,” but he stressed that Hamas will benefit from the time to regroup its ranks and rebuild its organization.
The writer predicted that Hamas leaders would redouble resistance efforts in the future, as the organization was able – under Sinwar’s leadership – to deal a strong blow to Israel, return the Palestinian issue to the political map, and damage Israel’s international reputation. Accordingly, Hamas will consider ending the conflict as a reversal of these gains.
As for Israel, it does not show any indication that it will reduce the intensity of its attacks on Gaza, as its rhetorical commitment to destroy Hamas is matched by actions on the ground, but Hamas is steadfast, and the organization has recovered from major leadership losses in the past, according to the writer.
Bayman does not believe that Israel will settle for peace, which means that the fighting between the two parties will continue, and perhaps turn Gaza into a “failed country.” In such a climate, Hamas, even if it is weak and disorganized, will be able to withstand and perhaps even thrive, he said. His expression.
Source : Foreign Policy + New York Times + The Washington Post