Peace in Gaza?

Abstract This paper identifies five normal pre-requisites for ending a war by a formal peace agreement and argues that none of the five conditions is satisfied by both sides in the war between Israel and Hamas. Each side must be a valid interlocutor (‘interlocuteur valable’) and must recognize the other side as a valid interlocutor. There must be a degree of mutual trust and a willingness to compromise on both sides. Finally, there must be mechanisms for enforcing the agreement. Hamas’s conduct on 7 October 2023 placed it beyond the pale of dialogue and negotiation. Governments should be willing to negotiate with some terrorists but not others. Hamas in its current form belongs in the latter category. An alternative to negotiating with Hamas is to crush it with massive military force. Although some terrorist groups have been defeated in this way, Hamas is unlikely to be one of them. A more realistic objective is to continue to degrade it with a view to rendering it politically and militarily impotent. It remains to be seen whether there is any level of military pressure that would induce it to change its approach and compromise for the sake of peace.