PNN – The direct negotiations between Hamas and the United States, which led to the release of a dual-citizen prisoner in Gaza, had three achievements for Hamas and further isolated the Israeli regime.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, Al Jazeera News Network examined in a report the agreement between the Hamas movement and the US government for the release of “Aidan Alexander”, an American-Israeli prisoner in Gaza, and wrote that this event took the Israeli regime by surprise and put it in a weak position. This agreement, which was reached without coordination with the occupying regime and through direct negotiations between Washington and Hamas, is the second experience of the United States in dialogue with non-governmental groups in the Middle East; a similar experience to the country’s previous agreement with the Yemeni Ansarullah movement, which was made with the aim of securing America’s strategic interests in the region.
The article, which was also republished by the Palestinian Information Center, states that in both cases, the interests of the Zionist regime were practically ignored. The agreement with the Yemenis did not address the issue of stopping missile attacks on the occupied territories or the freedom of navigation of Israeli ships. The agreement with Hamas also does not mention the release of other Israeli prisoners, while humanitarian aid to Gaza is part of the agreement.
These events indicate that America’s interests are taking precedence over those of its long-time ally in the region. There have been signs of this trend before, including the start of Washington’s talks with Tehran, the change in America’s position on the Syrian issue, and Donald Trump’s desire for Türkiye to play a role in northern Syria instead of the Zionist regime.
Tel Aviv thought that its interests in American foreign policy in the Middle East would be on par with those of the United States. But it is now faced with the reality that Washington’s interests take precedence, even if they conflict with the regime’s wishes.
Read more:
Changing the equation of the Gaza war; Why was the US forced to negotiate with Hamas?
From the perspective of Israeli political circles, the agreement is not just a failure, but a diplomatic disaster. Opposition leader Yair Lapid has explicitly described the agreement as such. This is the second time that the United States has entered into negotiations with Hamas. The first time, it was brokered by Adam Buhler, the US special envoy for POWs, which was met with strong protests from the Zionist regime and ultimately led to Buhler’s resignation. But this time, the negotiations were conducted effectively and without the regime’s knowledge, and they were successful.
This report lists the important consequences of the agreement in the following areas:
A: Breaking the political and military blockade in Gaza; the Zionist regime has so far refused to negotiate a ceasefire or end the war, considering only its own proposal as valid. However, this agreement with Hamas could pave the way for new negotiations that would be based on different terms than those of Tel Aviv and would effectively halt the course of military operations.
B: The collapse of the Zionist regime’s pressure tools, including siege and starvation; by employing a policy of “organized starvation,” the occupying regime attempted to force Hamas to accept a ceasefire and release some prisoners under limited conditions. But with this agreement, this pressure tool was rendered ineffective. Since the beginning of March, the regime, by cutting off food and medical aid, had sought to reach an agreement that would only include the release of half of the prisoners, along with a 40-day ceasefire without a commitment to a cessation of hostilities and a withdrawal of forces from Gaza. However, the US-Hamas negotiations were able to lead to the release of one prisoner without the need for this pressure.
C: Undermining the declared and implemented policies of the Zionist government; the Netanyahu government, which had introduced military operations and the siege of Gaza as the only way to achieve its goals, is now faced with a clear contradiction. Months of efforts to force Hamas to make concessions through a blockade have been fruitless, while direct, nonviolent dialogue has been successful.
The impact of these developments will not only be at the level of foreign policy, but will also extend into the Zionist regime itself. The cracks within the government and social discontent will intensify, especially with the policies that have made Israel a cause of blind destruction and disregard for human rights in the world. Global reactions to the policy of moralizing the starvation and killing of Palestinian civilians have painted a distorted image of this regime in international circles that is inconsistent with America’s claims for peace, development, and stability in the region.
In this situation, Netanyahu faces an even greater challenge: he has no leverage against Donald Trump. In his previous terms as prime minister, whenever he encountered problems with a Democratic president like Clinton, Obama, or Biden, he relied on the Republican Congress to try to neutralize the pressure. But now he is facing a president who is a member of his party and expects him to support him.
The only remaining solution for Netanyahu is to convince the United States to return to the Zionist regime’s initial offer of releasing five live prisoners in exchange for a ceasefire and the start of talks on the political future of Gaza. Success in this area may be able to temporarily preserve the cohesion of his government, without being forced to expand military operations, an operation that is most supported by the far-right and religious elements in the ruling coalition.
Otherwise, he will face two difficult choices: either stop the war and accept the collapse of his government, or continue the war and enter into a direct confrontation with Trump.