Extended truce

THE extension by two days of the four-day truce between Israel and Hamas prolongs a pause in the seven-week-old Israeli invasion. It provides respite to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip from sustained Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands of people. The halt also offers a window for intense negotiations to secure the release of more hostages, and ensure the flow of additional aid. US President Joe Biden has thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Qatar and Egypt, which have facilitated indirect talks between the two sides. Scepticism, though, remains high over the success of diplomatic efforts for a lasting ceasefire.

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The past few days have been bittersweet. The images of Israelis being reunited with families have provided rare moments of joy. There is also the realisation that most of the hostages have not been freed. For the Palestinians, any hope of an end to their plight is short-lived. As Netanyahu spoke about the captives’ release, he told Biden that once the truce was over, Israel would return with full force to achieve its goals of destroying Hamas and getting all hostages released. The fighting that comes next could be worse than what came before. The failure to avoid it would be a reminder of how institutions such as the United Nations have been rendered irrelevant the global power players.

Nothing can justify the brutality Hamas unleashed on October 7. But can one horror justify another? The massive Israeli retaliatory assault has already led to death and destruction on a massive scale. To what end? A two-state solution is the way forward to break the cycle of violence. Hamas has lost legitimacy as a governing force. New Palestinian leadership and institutional reform could be the answer, not endless bloodshed.