Qatari Prime Minister Says Trump Wants Peace in Gaza Now!
Sky's Yalda Hakim Speaking to Qatari Prime Minister
In conversation with Sky News' Yalda Hakim, Qatari Prime Minister Mr. al Thani says Trump wants peace now. Or as soon as he takes office in January. Getting peace deals lately in the Middle East has proved difficult. All sides in this war have proved stubborn or not committed to a ceasefire for various reasons.
Hamas has been devastated by ongoing Israeli attacks. Gaza has been reduced to a hell hole of suffering, death, and destruction by Israel. Never has there been such a devastating event like this in Gaza. For such happenings, you would have to travel back to WWII for such devastation. How many Hamas personnel have been killed is unknown. However, for all this, Hamas continues killing and maiming IDF operatives and destroying tanks, bulldozers, etc. What would a ceasefire mean for Hamas and Gaza?
Would Hamas under any peace deal be allowed to continue to rule Gaza? Given Israel's statement of destroying the organisation which it has patently failed to do. Will it be allowed to rule with other Palestinian groups? Or for the requirement of a lasting ceasefire would Hamas have to give up rule in favour of a Palestinian administration the Israelis would be satisfied with? Would Hamas be exiled from the Gaza Strip? That might prove difficult as Hamas has supporters amongst the population of Gaza.
Hamas will want its prisoners released before any remaining Israeli hostages are set free. However, as one pundit observed, while Hamas has those prisoners, it gives it power over Israel. While what is left of Hamas holds these hostages it has a bargaining chip. Once those hostages are released Hamas' power in a sense is lost. Hamas in any peace deal will want a guarantee that it can remain in power in Gaza. Or at least, have a role in any Palestinian administration after the war. That's the reality facing Hamas in any real and lasting peace deal.
For Israel, it has been and will be about Benjamin Netanyahu having guarantees of not being prosecuted. Being prosecuted for what? Well, being prosecuted for corruption in Israel. Internationally, being prosecuted for crimes against humanity in Gaza. So, Netanyahu knows when the war ends he will be prosecuted either way. So, the ongoing wars with Hamas, Hezbollah (now a shaky 60-day ceasefire), the Houthis, Iran, and militants in Iraq and Syria keep Netanyahu in power. Much as WWII kept Churchill in power until that conflict ended. One has to ask the question though, if all these conflicts ended tomorrow could Netanyahu be removed from power? Or could he serve the remainder of his term before being prosecuted? Does the office of the Israeli Prime Minister give him some immunity from prosecution while he is still in office?
Trump has said he would protect Netanyahu from any prosecution. Does that mean in Israel and internationally? Trump said he would sanction members of the International Criminal Court for issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu. How will sanctions on members of the ICC and Trump's possible protection of Netanyahu affect any peace negotiations?
The Israeli people are fed up with wars and just want their hostages home. They are fed up with funerals and hospital visits for their dead and injured military personnel. Fed up with civilian deaths and infrastructure attacks by Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other militant groups and Iran itself. That said, many far-right Israelis support Netanyahu. Netanyahu himself has been called the "Godfather of Israeli fascism". His Likud party is pretty far-right and his coalition contains political and religious parties who are so far-right that Hitler would be proud of them.
The Qatari Prime Minister Mr. al-Thani has been in conversation with Sky News' Yalda Hakim. Mr. al-Thani stated that Trump, his advisors, and his political team, want peace before he takes over from Biden in January. Mr. al-Thani even stated that peace would be acceptable to Trump before he assumes power.
Mr. al-Thani admitted these ongoing peace talks (for the umpteenth time) need to be acceptable to all sides (no kidding?). Given all the things we have discussed that might impede such a ceasefire any peace deal will have to be long-lasting and meet the needs of all sides (if both sides are genuine in wanting a cease-fire).
Qatar had originally said it was expelling Hamas from the country. However, Qatar must have thought again. Hamas will be allowed to keep its office in Qatar. Mr. al-Thani said the role of Qatar in past ceasefires like the 2014 one was paramount.
Mr. Trump said or was alleged to have said he wanted a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine. He wanted this in place before he took power in January. Much like the Hamas-Israel war. If neither of these things happens does it mean Trump does soundbites? Or, is it wishful thinking on Trump's part, that he is trying to project himself as this great negotiator? One would suspect that being in business would make Trump an expert negotiator. However, one remembers his talks with North Korea's Kim Jong-un. Their meetings recalled the days of Reagan and Gorbachev. However, unlike those talks in the 80s, the Trump and Kim talks came to nought.
Whether peace will come in Ukraine, Russia, Israel, and Gaza before the President-Elect takes power remains to be seen.
for Hamas?
About the Creator
Nicholas Bishop
I am a freelance writer currently writing for Blasting News and HubPages. I mainly write about politics. But have and will cover all subjects when the need arises.
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