Process, But Lack Of Progress

Gaza And Hostages

I used to have a boss in news who told me “don’t bore people with process, let’s report when there’s something to say, indicating progress and change”.

There’s something in that, and it keeps me from writing too much about nothing, except for the fact in world conflict, process even without decisive progress means delays which are critical.

Take for example Gaza, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s to-ing and fro-ing to bring about an agreement with Hamas, negotiated through Qatar, and Saudi Arabia and Egypt and Israel to release hostages and a deliver a possible ceasefire.

The lack of progress means everything to 136 families of the hostages still held in Gaza, who were taken on the bloody terror attack inside Israel October 7, because as each day passes the likelihood their loved ones are still alive dims.

The IDF (Israel Defences Forces) now reports about 31 hostages are dead, or a fifth of those still being held. Process with a lack of progress in negotiations for hostages release means death.

And the longer the talks continue, the more the ground war in Gaza displaces at least a million Palestinians claiming many more lives, now estimated to be over 26 thousand killed.

Blinken spoke of discussions that would deliver a “just peace” for Palestinians and Israel, which is code for a 2 state solution, but you should know most Israeli’s oppose any such idea at this dire moment, because living side by side with an armed Palestinian State, without somehow removing Hamas and extremist views is a monstrous threat to Israel as Oct 7 so clearly demonstrated.

This so called ‘just and comprehensive peace’ has been sought for decades, and because of extremists on both sides torpedoing the process, it’s delivered heart ache and disappointment. So lets not think Blinken is on the verge of announcing some kind of break through, especially not as a war rages in Gaza and hostages are still held and Hamas is still in power.

And certainly there will be no agreements for a just peace, not while Israel has P.M. Netanyau who has managed to kill the peace process since he came to power in 1996, which included his anti peace rhetoric that helped kindle the fires of hatred against then Israeli peace maker Yitzhak Rabin, and who was assassinated at a peace rally in 1995.

So at the risk of offending my former foreign editor, let me say the process of negotiations with Hamas seems hung up because of their demand for the release of hundreds of terrorists in Israeli jails and their wish to remain in power.

Hamas has reportedly asked for a four and a half month truce in the war, the release of some 500 Palestinians serving life in prison, and reconstruction of Gaza amidst the full withdrawal of Israeli forces. (Deep inhale here because those demands are at this moment Israel won’t agree). And only then would the hostages be released.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that there can be no capitulation to the demands of Hamas. "Giving in to the outrageous demands of Hamas will not only fail to bring about the release of the hostages but will invite an additional massacre and a disaster for Israel," Netanyahu went on to say "The day after the war is the day after Hamas. Not part of Hamas, not half of Hamas."

Israeli has so far failed to eliminate the Hamas leadership in Gaza, including the master mind of the Oct 7 attack Yahya Sinwar hiding somewhere we presume in Gaza’s tunnels insulating himself with Israeli hostages.

Israel won’t agree to allow Hamas to remain in power in Gaza and to threaten Israel again, within months or years. The Israeli war cabinet is willing to sacrifice hostages rather than cave into Hamas, although the language Israel uses is less direct than that.

After 4 months of grinding war in Gaza, the Israeli Government won’t throw in the towel without removing the terrorist threat that continues to fight on in Gaza. We’re no where near a cease fire, or so it seems while Hamas is hunted and the hostages cling to life.