-Analysis-
PARIS — Guns fell silent between Israel and Iran on Monday after an unprecedented war. The same cannot be said in Gaza, the largely forgotten region of the past two weeks. The nightmare felt by both the Palestinian civilian population and Israeli hostages continues inexorably.
One would search in vain through official statements for valid justifications to keep fighting this war, the purpose of which eludes even many Israelis.
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More than two million Gazans are now huddled together in a small part of this tiny territory, in inhumane conditions. Every day, residents are killed around distribution sites for humanitarian aid, which has been handed from the United Nations over to a private company protected by the Israeli army.
The number of sites has been drastically reduced, which contributes to provoking these incidents. Aid has become a “death trap,” accuses Philippe Lazzarini, the director of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, which has been sidelined by Israel.
Since Monday, we have seen images of Israelis relieved by the end of Iranian missile alerts, rushing to the beaches of Tel Aviv. Yet a bit further south down the coast, it is still hell on earth.
Domestic and foreign criticism
Before the start of the war with Iran, there had been a steady mobilization of a portion of Israeli public opinion in favor of ending the conflict. Israelis marched with photos of Palestinian children killed in Gaza. This obviously came to a sudden stop with the arrival of Iranian missiles.
At the same time, international criticism was growing, particularly in Europe, with France raising the prospect of recognizing a Palestine state. A conference in New York co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia on the “two states” of Israel and Palestine, which was to be held last week, was part of this climate of pressure.
The stakes may be even higher
Here too, the conflict with Iran has put that progress in jeopardy. Everyone has forgotten about Gaza, and the dead have continued to be counted in hundreds while all eyes have been turned elsewhere. The New York conference has been postponed indefinitely, and France’s recognition of Palestine remains a goal, but without a timetable. Even the European decision on the EU’s association agreement with Israel and its Article 2 on respect for human rights, have been pushed back.
Saudi equation
However, talks regarding a ceasefire in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages could resume in Qatar in the coming days. Much will depend on Donald Trump’s willingness to engage in these negotiations. Having supported Israel’s bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites, the U.S. president has demonstrated that he now can exert influence over Benjamin Netanyahu.
The stakes may be even higher: ending the war in Gaza and providing a political perspective for the Palestinians remains a condition set by Saudi Arabia for normalizing relations with Israel. This remains a goal for Netanyahu, a way of crowning the “new Middle East” he claims to have championed after weakening Iranian influence. The Israeli press also mentions, under these circumstances, possible early elections.
But this political state must not obscure reality: the suffering of Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages has gone on for far too long. All countries with even a modicum of influence must exert pressure to end it as quickly as possible.
