The State of Negotiations in the Near East: Falling Apart?

A view of the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Photo Credit: Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 4.0

By Parakram Karnik

Hostage and ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas—brokered mainly by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt—seem to be at a broad impasse, reported Alarabiya News. Discussions have deteriorated since the collapse of the last ceasefire on November 30.

Certain issues seem to serve as continuous sticking points between negotiators. For example, a major point of contention appears to be the ratio of Israeli hostages to Palestinian prisoners released. Under the November ceasefire deal, the agreed-upon ratio was three Palestinians freed for one Israeli hostage returned. Now, Israel demands that this same ratio be utilized in a potential ceasefire deal, according to Axios. Hamas opposes those terms, seeking a higher number of Palestinians freed for every hostage returned as compensation for the greater damage that the Gaza Strip has incurred since the collapse of the last ceasefire, says CNN. 

Additionally, both sides contest plans for action following a ceasefire. Israel seems to view these negotiations as a pathway towards a humanitarian pause. While this would mean a cessation of hostilities for a given period of time, it connotes an intention from Israel to continue fighting the war until they achieve the complete defeat of Hamas in Gaza, writes CNBC. From Hamas’s perspective, according to Reuters, these negotiations should lead to a final settlement that requires Israel to withdraw entirely from the Gaza Strip. The Times of Israel reports that this impasse has become increasingly relevant as Hamas continues to demand extended ceasefires, as they attribute the failure of the initial ceasefire to its short duration (six days).

There are also reports that Hamas is trying to insert negotiation points concerning the status of Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Currently, only Muslims can pray at the mosque, and a Jordanian entity administers the mosque. Perennial concerns remain in the Muslim world, however, that the mosque may be under threat. The mosque sits on what Jews believe to be the Temple Mount. According to NDTV, some believe that Israel may seek to demolish the mosque and replace it with a Jewish temple. From the Israeli perspective, support for actually building the temple has transformed from an outdated fringe view into a more normalized, albeit extreme one.

Since a wave of violent Palestinian resistance began in the early 2000s, Israel’s ever-growing far right parties—that often include members who support building the temple—have gained popularity, further substantiating the fears of the demolition of Al-Aqsa among Palestinians and Muslims. Israel currently rejects the inclusion of any points regarding the integrity of Al-Aqsa in negotiations, stating that they are irrelevant to the current conflict. The United States also explicitly supports this view, according to a statement by the U.S. State Department. Recently, according to Reuters, Israel announced its intention to cap the number of its Muslim citizens allowed to take part in peak prayers at the mosque during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, a controversial move which may further escalate outrage across the Muslim world.