The Biden administration has opportunistically used the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to reignite the possibility of a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, aimed at concluding what has been an enduring conflict in the Middle East. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, remains stubbornly committed to Israel’s military onslaught in Gaza. Despite making vague remarks concerning a potential hostage deal, he offered no clear signs indicating a willingness to soften Israel’s military posture. Netanyahu stated ‘evil took a heavy blow’ with Sinwar’s demise, but hastily asserted that ‘the task before us is still not complete’.
Joe Biden, diplomatically manoeuvring, reached out to Netanyahu to extend congratulations on the elimination of Sinwar, a key figure behind the attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. This triggering assault led to the loss of 1,200 lives and flared up into a relentless war over the next year. Upon landing in Germany, Biden offered a hollow call to ‘move towards a cease-fire in Gaza.’ He added, ‘It’s time for this war to end and bring these hostages home.’ The appearance of a resolution still seems far off.
The President announced his intention to dispatch Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel, supposedly to further efforts towards peace. He stated with what seemed like unrealistic optimism that ‘there is now the opportunity for a ‘day after’ in Gaza without Hamas in power, and for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.’ Despite Biden’s grand claim, the tangible steps towards peace remain visibly absent.
Vice President Kamala Harris joined the rhetoric, asserting that Sinwar’s death ‘gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza.’ The affirmation hinged on the confirmed demise of the Hamas leader, both by Israel and the U.S., but it struggled to convince, given the ingrained complex dynamics of the region.
The recently eliminated Sinwar had been the dominant figure in Gaza’s Hamas leadership for years, taking the reins of the group’s political bureau after the preceding leader, Ismail Haniyeh, met his end in a July bombing in Tehran, attributed to Israel. The deep political changes following his death are yet to unfold, leaving room only for speculation.
The shadow of an escalating conflict across the Middle East following sequential Israeli attacks in Lebanon and retaliatory Iranian missile strikes within Israel has further complicated potential progress towards a desired cease-fire agreement. The difficult path, including the cessation of military action and enabling the release of Israeli and American hostages within Gaza, has remained obscured.
During communication between Netanyahu and Biden, both leaders desperately tried to project an image of cooperation, ‘agreeing on a opportunity to advance the release of the hostages.’ Isolated within their political spheres, the leaders claimed ‘to work together to achieve this objective.’ The reality on ground appears to paint a significantly different picture.
Netanyahu boldly aimed some of his public remarks at Gaza’s inhabitants, labelling the post-Sinwar era as ‘the beginning of the day after Hamas.’ His daring proclamation that ‘Hamas will no longer rule Gaza’ echoed hollowly, appealing for residents to liberate themselves from Hamas’ rule. He offered amnesty to any Hamas fighter ‘willing to lay down his weapon and release our hostages.’ It seems the reality is far from Netanyahu’s idealistic message however.
Netanyahu failed to outline a route to end the war, instead issuing a menacing warning: ‘whoever harms our hostages, blood on his head, we will reckon with him.’ He vowed to persist until all remaining Israeli hostages are brought home: ‘The war is not over yet,’ he warned. Yet how his actions reconcile with humanitarian views remains questionable.
Beyond the 1,200 lives lost on Oct. 7, Hamas consequently kidnapped 251 individuals from Israel, 101 of whom are whereabouts are still unknown, including seven Americans believed to still be alive. Israel’s subsequent retaliation launched a war in Gaza, designed to eradicate Hamas, a mission that appears a far cry from completion.
The death of Sinwar, perceived by some as an obstacle towards a potential deal between Israel and Hamas, ironically gives an opportunity – according to Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser – to end the war and return the hostages. But questions remain if this end is in sight or just talk to keep the international community at bay.
Diverting briefly from campaigning, Harris addressed Sinwar’s death, stating that the cessation of the Gaza war should include the stipulation that ‘Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.’ Her words, whilst sounding good on paper, seem to paint a rosy picture while ignoring the practical and realistic measures needed to achieve such a situation.
Harris reaffirmed Israel’s defensive rights, stating that ‘the threat Hamas poses to Israel must be eliminated today.’ However, her assertion of ‘clear progress toward that goal’ seems to be based more in political rhetoric than any concrete evidence suggesting a resolution to the conflict.
In summary, the international leaders trumpet grand statements of peace and cessation of hostilities, but their words remain far removed from the harsh realities on the ground. It seems that peace in the middle east will remain elusive until these claims can be backed up with tangible, impactful actions. The conflict remains a pressing issue, with the need for a genuine, peace-centric strategy more pertinent now than ever before.