Gaza War: Ceasefire negotiations on second anniversary.
The Red Sea coast of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, hosted a new round of talks late Monday between representatives of the Palestinian resistance and representatives of the Israeli occupation. The talks, which Al Jazeera described as “positive,” and in which a roadmap was drawn up for how the current round of negotiations should continue in the coming days. However, the talks are set to continue as the Israeli regime continues to bombard the besieged Gaza Strip with heavy air and artillery attacks.
The talks in Egypt between the Palestinians and representatives of the Israeli occupation have begun after months of stalemate in the Red Sea resort. According to reports, the first phase of the talks is expected to discuss a quick end to the war and the rapid release of Israeli prisoners, both dead and alive, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and increased humanitarian aid. More sensitive issues such as security and the political future of Gaza will be discussed in the next phase.
Trump’s fruitless rush for Sharm el-Sheik
Gaza ceasefire negotiations in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, have begun based on Trump’s plan, and the controversial US president is in a great hurry to conclude the ceasefire negotiations and stop the war in Gaza, so that he can, in his opinion, meet the necessary conditions for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony will be held in a few days, and the possibility that the Gaza ceasefire negotiations will reach their final results in the next 3 days is low. However, the US president is trying to pressure the Palestinians by continuing to threaten them to accept any demands in the negotiations, although so far the Palestinian resistance groups have not accepted all of Trump’s proposals for a ceasefire, including disarmament in Gaza. The Hamas delegation has emphasized in these negotiations that the continuation of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip during the negotiations is a serious obstacle to an agreement on the release of Israeli prisoners, and this issue has been raised as one of the main challenges in the negotiations.
White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt confirmed Trump’s rush to negotiate on Monday, telling reporters: “The United States administration is working very hard to move things along as quickly as possible. The president wants to see an immediate ceasefire; he wants the prisoners released, and the technical teams are discussing that right now.”
Trump’s rush to end the Gaza war before the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Even if he succeeds, Trump’s chances of winning the Nobel Peace Prize are slim. Trump has been nominated several times since 2018 by people inside the United States and by foreign politicians, and this year he was nominated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted for crimes in Gaza, and the government of Pakistan, but those nominations were submitted after the February 1 deadline, the last deadline for the 2025 prize.
Trump has repeatedly said he “deserves” the prize, claiming to have ended “seven wars,” but longtime Nobel experts say the committee favors sustained, multilateral efforts over short-term successes. Theo Zeno, a historian and fellow at the Henry Jackson Institute, said Trump’s actions have yet to be proven sustainable. “There’s a big difference between stopping wars in the short term and solving the root causes of conflict,” he said. Zeno also pointed to Trump’s views on climate change, calling them inconsistent with the view of many, including the Nobel committee, that climate change is the greatest challenge to sustainable peace. “I don’t think they would give the world’s most prestigious prize to someone who doesn’t believe in climate change,” he said. “When you look at past winners who have been bridge-builders and ambassadors of international cooperation and reconciliation, those qualities don’t apply to Donald Trump.”
Kristian Berg Harpviken, secretary of the Nobel Peace Committee, also said in an interview that the media’s focus on certain candidates, such as US President Donald Trump, does not affect the committee’s internal discussions. “We are aware that there is a lot of media attention on some candidates, but this does not affect the committee’s discussions. The committee considers each candidate on their own merits,” he told AFP in Oslo.