Can a Ceasefire Deal Be Reached in Gaza?

Aljazeera English (August 21 2025)

Film Review 

https://www.aljazeera.com/video/inside-story/2025/8/21/can-a-ceasefire-deal-now-be-reached-in-gaza

Hamas has accepted the ceasefire proposed by Egypt and Qatar. It would entail a 60-day cessation of hostilities, accompanied by the phased release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoner. Israel, which has rejected the ceasefire proposal, has instead launched a campaign to level Gaza City and expel it estimated 750,000 population.

In this film, a panel consisting of former Israeli negotiator under Ehud Barak Daniel Levy, Fellow of Middle East Council on Global Affairs Omar Rahman and Visiting Council on Foreign Relations* Muhamad Shehad speculates on the likelihood of Israel agreeing to the ceasefire.

Levy points out the the Egyptian/Qatari ceasefire proposal is essentially the same as the one Trump envoy Steve Witkoff negotiated in March. At the time Israel agreed to it. Contacts among retired IDF officers tell him that Israeli reservists are exhausted and only half are showing up for duty. Levy predicts the only way to stop the Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza is for a stronger “regional” military force to confront them. [ED In my view a simpler solution is for Trump to stop sending Israel bombs and weapons.]

Rahman asserts Israel’s main goal has nothing to do with rescuing the hostages. Their main aim is to force all Gaza residents into concentration camps and to exile them to a third country.

Shehad asserts Britain and various EU countries who have recognized Palestinian statehood are being pressured by large domestic protest movements. In his view this is mere headline-grabbing posturing. There are far more direct ways the EU could put pressure on Israel, such as revoking visa exemptions for Israeli visitors to the EU. Since the onset of Israel’s war on Gaza, “there are more Israelis living in Greece, Prague and across the EU than in Israel.” They could also revoke Israel’s “Association” status.**

According to Shehad, Hamas believes Israel has lost interest in rescuing their hostages. The Hamas leadership two offers to release all of them in 2023, if Israel called off its planned Gaza invasion and a few weeks later if they agreed to withdraw the IDF. Hamas believe the only way Israel will end its war on Gaza is if Hamas totally withdraws and allows the IDF to occupy and govern Gaza.

All the panelists seems to agree that it would be helpful for Mahmood Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president and for the BRICS nations to take more of a stand on the Gaza genocide. There also seems to be consensus about Israel’s deliberate campaign to crush moderate Palestinian voices. Israeli leaders got panicky when the PLO became too moderate (leading to its acceptance by Europe and the US), leading Israel to assassinate (ie poison) Yassar Arafat (see The Assassination of Yassar Arafat). They subsequently made assassination attempts (two successful) against three  moderate Hamas leaders who approached them about transforming Hamas into a purely political entity.

They also seem to agree that Trump, who is financing the carnage in Gaza, has a very poor understanding of foreign policy. Rahman asserts that his complicity in the Gaza genocide will permanently tarnish his historical legacy.

*Intelligence-linked thinktank and sister organization to US Council on Foreign Relations and Chatham House

**https://eeas.europa.eu/archives/delegations/israel/documents/eu_israel/asso_agree_en.pdf