Negotiations offer Gaza hope, but residents say collapse is already here - feature

Daily life in Gaza is increasingly strained by uncertainty surrounding negotiations and postwar arrangements, as shortages of essential resources like water, fuel, and healthcare intensify. Residents and observers alike express concern that the current framework is failing to address the deepening crisis on the ground.

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I believe the actual agreements were not what they should have been. There were headlines that the Peace Council wanted to promote and convince us were real, but in reality, the coordination being carried out with the Israeli prime minister reflects an agreement on procedures that maintain the current situation in Gaza.

Political analyst Iyad Jouda described a pervasive sense that the political process is maintaining the status quo rather than facilitating genuine change. "I believe the actual agreements were not what they should have been," Jouda told The Media Line. "There were headlines that the Peace Council wanted to promote and convince us were real, but in reality, the coordination being carried out with the Israeli prime minister reflects an agreement on procedures that maintain the current situation in Gaza."

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Israel is not abiding by its commitments, and the Peace Council is not acting according to a real plan that would lead to the end of the occupation in Gaza.

Jouda highlighted a significant gap between promises and reality, stating, "Israel is not abiding by its commitments, and the Peace Council is not acting according to a real plan that would lead to the end of the occupation in Gaza." He warned that current arrangements might entrench separation, leading toward a scenario of "Gaza One" and "Gaza Two," which he views as a separatist plan. He stressed the need for Palestinian unity and a unified strategic plan to confront the occupation internationally.

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What is happening now appears to be a set of arrangements that reproduce the current reality and move toward ‘Gaza One’ and ‘Gaza Two.’ In my opinion, this is a real separatist plan.

Jonathan Conricus, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former international spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, acknowledged the severe humanitarian suffering in Gaza. However, he attributed the prolonged crisis to Hamas's refusal to comply with agreements, including laying down weapons and ceasing to oppress the local population. "As a human being, I can understand and imagine how the situation on the other side of the border is in Gaza, and I’m sure it’s a horrible, unsustainable situation," Conricus said. "Not because how Israel wants it, but because Hamas continues to, A, violate the agreement, B, not lay down their weapons, and C, to oppress the people who live there because they want to rema."

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What is required from Palestinians, first of all, is to move beyond division, reach a unified position, and agree on a strategic plan to confront the occupation at the international and political levels.