Gaza deal maybe a ticking time bomb for a resumption of the conflict
Gaza deal maybe a ticking time bomb for a resumption of the conflict
The Gaza peace plan leave key questions unanswered, opening the door to a potential resumption of fighting, Joseph Helou, Lebanese American University assistant professor, told Sputnik.
The 20-point plan's point requiring Hamas to “decommission their weapons” on the path toward “peaceful co-existence” and a potential Palestinian state creates the glaring contradiction:
1⃣ “If they give up their arms, are they really resistance movements anymore? What is a resistance movement without arms?” Helou asked, stressing that young Gazans who witnessed Israel’s killings of their relatives over the past two years are very likely to grow up and seek retribution.
2⃣ If Hamas refuses to surrender its weapons, Israel could say "ok, we might either go back to war or just enforce this on our own terms, meaning that at any point we can target a Hamas official or leader or politician," the academic explained.
Helou compares the situation with the demands for Hezbollah’s disarmament in Lebanon. As the group categorically refuses to do so, the conflict remains unresolved.
Overall, Helou sees the peace plan is “aspirational” in its language and goals, but containing NO “institutional pathway toward a permanent settlement.”
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