Some Palestinians in Gaza expressed hope that peace talks could move forward after President Biden endorsed an Israeli road map toward a permanent ceasefire and called on Hamas to accept the plan. But many were skeptical that American influence would help immediately end the war and its suffering.
After eight months of devastating bombing, many in Gaza believe Hamas should make whatever commitments are necessary to end the war and allow reconstruction to begin.
“I am hopeful that Hamas will accept this deal,” said Ayman Skeik, a 31-year-old shopkeeper from Gaza City who was displaced to Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. “But I’m still afraid it won’t happen.”
Declaring that Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out a major terrorist attack against Israel, President Biden said Friday it was time for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and endorsed a new plan he said Israel had offered to achieve the release of hostages and work. towards a permanent end to the war and the reconstruction of Gaza.
Hamas has said it was responding “positively” but has kept Palestinians guessing for days about whether it would formally accept. On Tuesday, Sami Abu Zuhri, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, accused Netanyahu’s government of not being serious about reaching a deal. He said Biden was pressuring his team to accept the plan “even though the White House knew the problem is in” Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, who remains under pressure from far-right members of his coalition who oppose the deal, has neither publicly accepted nor rejected the proposal, but has insisted that Israel will not end the war without “ destruction” of Israel. Hamas’s military and governance capabilities.
Like many other Gazans, Skeik said he had become frustrated after several rounds of ceasefire negotiations failed in the past. Previous efforts by the United States, Qatar and Egypt to reach an agreement between the two sides have failed, and Biden suggested in February that a ceasefire was imminent, even as Hamas and Israel remained estranged.
“The United States used to have a strong word when it wanted to stop any crisis in the world,” he said. “But today I see a different thing.”
The first phase of the proposal presented by Biden called for both sides to observe a temporary six-week ceasefire, while they continued negotiating to reach a permanent one. That spooked Skeik, who said that without an immediate, permanent ceasefire, he worried that fighting would continue after or even during the first phase.
“I want to go back to my old life,” he said from a cafe where he can connect to the Internet. But Skeik was worried that Hamas would criticize the language and prolong the negotiations, further impeding his ability to return home.
“We want Hamas to sign this agreement to maintain long-term peace and a ceasefire so that we and our children can live in peace and security,” said Anas al-Borno, a 36-year-old businessman from Gaza City who was displaced with his family to Deir al-Balah. But he was still “desperate and pessimistic” that Israel and Hamas would accept the deal, he added.
Some praised Biden for his speech last week, in which the president laid out the details of the Israeli plan. It was an unusual move to speak on behalf of another country and appeared to be a move to further pressure Netanyahu after months of American admonitions.
“I think what Biden said on TV was a sudden change for me and for many other people,” said Ahmed al-Masri, a 21-year-old dental student from Gaza City. “The United States has recently chosen the route of surprises, so I hope this comes true and is real,” he added.
But others doubted it meant much.
“The United States must impose solutions on all parties, not just propose and suggest ideas,” said Raed al-Kelani, 47, an official in northern Gaza. He added that while he believed President Biden could pressure both Hamas and Netanyahu to accept the deal, he was “only 50 percent optimistic.”