“Progress” in negotiations over hostages in Gaza raises hopes of an agreement, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But the path to peace remains strewn with pitfalls in this unstable region…
At the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a ray of hope seems to pierce the dark clouds that have hovered over the Gaza Strip since the devastating Hamas attack in October 2023. During an intervention in the Israeli Parliament this Monday, the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke, cautiously, of “progress” in the negotiations for the release of hostages still in the hands of Palestinian groups.
These developments come against a backdrop of heightened tensions and intense diplomatic efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire. Since the unprecedented kidnapping of 251 people by Hamas several months ago, 96 of whom remain captive, Israel has continued to seek solutions to bring its citizens home.
A path strewn with pitfalls towards peace
Despite these encouraging signs, Benjamin Netanyahu remains measured in his remarks, aware of the fragility of the situation. Negotiations with Palestinian factions, notably Hamas and Islamic Jihad, are proving complex and fraught with obstacles.
Among the main sticking points are the duration of the ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from strategic areas such as the Philadelphia corridor on the border with Egypt, and the thorny issue of governance of Gaza after the conflict. Each party carefully advances its pawns on this flammable geopolitical chessboard.
The Houthi threat on the border
As Israel struggles to resolve the hostage crisis, a new threat arises on its doorstep. Yemen's Houthi rebels, supported by Iran and part of the “resistance axis” hostile to the Jewish state, launched a ballistic missile at Tel Aviv this weekend, lightly injuring 16 people.
Faced with this attack, Benjamin Netanyahu raised his voice, warning that any aggression against Israel would be followed by a firm and determined response. The prime minister ordered the army to target Houthi infrastructure, stressing that those who attack his country will pay a high price.
Diplomacy as a weapon to change the situation
Beyond the military response, Israel is also banking on diplomacy to reshape the regional geopolitical landscape. Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his desire to sign new peace agreements with Arab countries, in the wake of the “Abraham Accords” negotiated in 2020 by the Trump administration.
For the Israeli leader, these moderate states increasingly see Israel as a potential ally and a stabilizing power. He intends to seize this opportunity to expand the circle of peace and profoundly transform the dynamics in the Middle East, with the support of the United States.
Securing borders, an absolute priority
Another major security challenge for Israel: the chaotic situation in neighboring Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December by a rebel coalition including radical Islamists. Fearing that terrorist groups would set up shop on its doorstep, the Israeli military quickly deployed troops to a buffer zone in the Golan Heights, an action seen as a violation of 1974 agreements with Syria.
In this volatile context, Israel must navigate delicately between security imperatives and the search for peace. The release of the Gaza hostages is a top priority, but it is part of a complex web of regional issues that require a comprehensive and informed approach.
Each step forward, even modest, brings hope for the families of the captives and for all those who aspire to an end to the violence. But the road is still long and strewn with pitfalls. It will take all the diplomatic skill and determination of Israel and the international community to transform this fragile progress into lasting peace in this tinderbox of the Middle East.
