Israel has agreed to pay the price of a permanent ceasefire by formally accepting a U.S.-led deal, but it has also set a firm price for Hamas: complete demilitarization. A senior official announced that the war could end, and all hostages could be freed, but only if Hamas agrees to lay down its arms for good.
This framework explicitly defines the cost of peace for both sides. For Israel, it involves ending a military campaign that it had vowed would continue until Hamas was destroyed. For Hamas, the price is its very identity as an armed resistance movement, requiring it to transition into a purely political entity.
The proposal aims to break the deadlock by presenting a stark but clear choice. It offers a future for Gaza free of war and blockade, with massive international aid for reconstruction. However, access to this future is contingent upon meeting the fundamental security demand of Israel.
With Israel’s acceptance of these terms, the negotiation has reached its most critical point. The international community is pressing Hamas to accept what is being framed as a historic compromise, arguing that the price of continued conflict is far higher than the price of this peace.
The Price of Peace: Israel Agrees to Deal Requiring Hamas’s Demilitarization
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