Secrets of the Truce
It is natural that truce diplomacy is the next and correct step for any armed conflict between two parties to find a solution that satisfies both sides and ends the suffering of citizens, destruction, and damages affecting society and weakening nations.
Dozens of days have passed since the outbreak of the recent Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, and the horrific consequences of the war continue to extend in all humanitarian, political, and economic dimensions. Dozens of innocent people have fallen, hundreds injured, thousands of destroyed homes, and the humanitarian cost of the war is still rising.
At the end of the war, Egyptian, American, and regional efforts began to move to find a formula for a truce between Palestinian resistance factions and the Israeli occupation authority. The truce, which lasted for months, has not yet achieved its desired goals, security has not been restored in the Palestinian street, nor has life returned to normal.
What observers notice about the Palestinian scene after the war is that the leaders of the resistance factions appeared in the media and in several successive meetings confirming that the truce path will fail and that the fragile ceasefire will not allow the realization of the Palestinian people's rights. It is true that the recent war proved that the resistance side has pressure tools through which it can harass the occupation and threaten its internal security, but it is also true that the military balance heavily favors the occupation.
The recent war took the resistance factions out of an identity and legitimacy crisis they had been living through for years, especially after the bloody division that lasted a long time. But the field victory and the war itself are not goals in themselves but means to achieve lofty national goals. Here the real crisis of the resistance factions is revealed: no clear political vision for the future of the Palestinian people, no economic program for reconstruction, and no unified political agenda to express the goals of the coming phase.
Egypt is the primary regional party concerned with the Palestinian file. The historical and geographical relations between Egypt and Palestine make Cairo an indispensable destination in any negotiations or truce. Everyone plays with this Egyptian card, and Egypt tries to exploit every opportunity to consolidate its position as a key arbiter in the Palestinian equation. Under the current regime, Egypt returns to the regional arena after years of political stagnation and withdrawal from its regional role.
Egypt's final word before approving the ceasefire was clear: whoever rejects the ceasefire will bear full responsibility. Egypt's pressure and threats to escalate the situation and tighten the siege on the sector had their effect in the final acceptance of an incomplete ceasefire. The Egyptian role is not without criticism but ultimately is the only party capable of pressuring all sides.
Cautious optimism is the most appropriate phrase to describe the upcoming phase. The truce has not resolved any fundamental issues: no lifting of the siege, no operational ports, no right of return, and no release of prisoners. What is required is to turn the fragile truce into a sustainable one, accompanied by serious negotiations leading to a just and comprehensive solution.
Resistance factions must realize that national unity is fundamental and that media disputes do not serve the cause. The occupation must realize that military action does not solve problems and that the only solution is ending the occupation and recognizing the rights of the Palestinian people.
What has happened and is happening with Egyptian efforts and regional movements confirms that the region is living on a knife-edge and that any spark could ignite war again. The solution is a return to international legitimacy and genuine negotiations with a binding international decision that satisfies the Palestinian people and guarantees their full rights.
