Temporary ceasefire helps end Israel conflict

After the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7, public opinion and the international community continuously called for a ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian and relief activities in the Gaza Strip. After a period of fierce fighting, Hamas and Israel finally agreed to a mediation agreement to temporarily halt the military attack on Gaza and pave the way for a prisoner exchange.

The first step

According to Israeli statistics, Hamas is believed to be holding more than 200 hostages, who were captured when Hamas members stormed Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 others.

The Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7. (Photo: AP)

The Israeli Prime Minister's office announced the agreement between Israel and Hamas after hours of closed-door discussions. According to the agreement, 50 women and children will be released within four days, during which there will be a pause in fighting.

Notably, the ceasefire could be extended if more hostages are released. According to Israel's proposal, for every 10 hostages released, a day of ceasefire would be added.

Under the agreement, Israel will also release about 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons. The ceasefire will also allow hundreds of trucks of humanitarian, medical and fuel aid to enter Gaza.

Hamas said Israel had pledged not to attack or arrest anyone in any part of Gaza during the ceasefire.

The temporary ceasefire agreement was brokered by officials from Qatar. A Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman recently said that the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages will begin on November 24. He said the ceasefire will apply to both the northern and southern Gaza Strip. The first batch of hostages will be released, with 13 people.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also emphasized the role of US President Joe Biden in reaching the ceasefire agreement. He said that President Biden pushed for the deal to be completed, Hamas had to release more hostages, while Israel accepted fewer concessions.

The agreement between Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire is also a positive sign. Small measures of trust and goodwill on both sides open the door for a ceasefire to develop into lasting peace, said Madhav Joshi, a professor at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame.

“ With a negotiated agreement between the rivals… where reforms are pursued across various policy areas, real peace can come,” said Madhav Joshi.

The conflict is not over yet

After Israel and Hamas reached a four-day ceasefire to allow for the release of hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said fighting would pause, but stressed the pause did not mean the war would end.

Netanyahu said the war would continue until Hamas was destroyed and all hostages were freed. "We are at war and will continue to fight until all our objectives are achieved. Destroy Hamas, release all hostages and ensure that no entity in Gaza can threaten Israel," Netanyahu said.

The Israel-Hamas conflict continues, with no end in sight. (Photo: Getty)

Not only Israeli leaders, but also Israeli officials have shown their determination to eliminate Hamas. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel's offensive will continue for at least a month or two, until there is no longer a military threat from the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat also stated that only a complete surrender of Hamas could prevent a resumption of war after the ceasefire agreement. He said that if Hamas surrendered "it would be over in a minute".

Not now, from the beginning Israel has set the goal of eliminating Hamas in the Gaza Strip in response to the attack of this force on October 7. However, the Israeli army has repeatedly hesitated and wavered in launching a full-scale attack on the Gaza Strip under international pressure.

In particular, the US - Israel's ally, has advised and requested Israel to find a way to free the hostages being held by Hamas before conducting military operations. It can be said that the hostages are an important factor, holding Israel back from taking stronger action in the Gaza Strip in recent times.

So after initially achieving its goal, the number of hostages returned is increasing, what will happen next? According to analysts, Hamas will probably take this opportunity to stop fighting to consolidate its forces, to deal with Israel in the coming time. And Hamas will not easily release all the remaining hostages, because this force fully understands that this is a card for them to bargain with the other side.

Furthermore, analysts also point out that it is not easy for Israel to completely defeat Hamas because this force is hiding and operating in many locations and countries in the region. And Hamas also has close organizations such as Hezbollah, whose leaders have warned that they will join the war if Hamas is destroyed.

Besides, the problem of the future of the Gaza Strip after the conflict is not easy to solve. Will Israel or which organization control the Gaza Strip after Hamas is eliminated?

Referring to the recently reached Israel-Hamas agreement, expert Madhav Joshi from the University of Notre Dame said that this agreement is only “narrow in scope”, limited to “a pause in fighting and a prisoner exchange”. He emphasized that it is “doomed to fail”.

“The Hamas-Israel deal does not include further negotiations or monitoring components, so it is unlikely to prevent violence beyond the proposed four-day period. It would not be surprising if the deal fails completely,” said Madhav Joshi.

Policy areas that are ambiguous or not covered in peace agreements will always require additional rounds of negotiations to strengthen them, he said. “Either that or the violence will continue,” he added.

“A ceasefire is bound to fail as long as one or both sides remain determined to defeat the other militarily. There are many examples of such failed ceasefires from Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, etc.,” said Madhav Joshi.

Kong Anh (Source: Synthesis)

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