Gaza: Are Israel’s strikes on Rafah incompatible with the liberation of hostages? • FRANCE 24

Gaza: Are Israel’s strikes on Rafah incompatible with the liberation of hostages? • FRANCE 24

we’re going to get a bit more analysis now with Oliver murnan who’s the director of Forward Thinking joining me live from London Oliver let’s start with all of this back and forth thing it seemed like there was a breakthrough after that it seemed like the Breakthrough wasn’t happening after all Where Do We Stand now when it comes to the negotiations what’s the biggest sticking point I think the biggest sticking point is getting the Prime Minister Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire even along you know 42 days at a time I as long as the war goes on he has the full support as we seen of he not just his cabinet but I think the knesset generally most politicians in Israel are fully supportive of the goal that he set at the beginning and that is to see the demise of Hamas I think it’s unfortunate for the hostages and the family but that goal seems to be the one that is is um taking priority at the moment indeed but he did also set another goal at least to the Israeli people which was to free the hostages are those two goals incompatible I think totally incompatible in my experience of negotiations between Gaza and Israeli um government it pressure never works whatever pressure you put on I think it stiffens resistance and I think we’re not going to see see the hostages delivered by this and other also it’s putting the hostages lives at Great risk because I’m sure no one knows exactly where the hostages are and um that’s one of the problems unless you have a ceasefire you cannot guarantee their safety you cannot make sure that they’re um able to gather in one place and be delivered safely to their their families so I think it’s a very highrisk strategy but I I think the Israeli spokesperson you had on gave us an indication of what’s behind this move he said put pressure on himass yes to release the hostages but the other goals of the war now Gaza at present is practically unlivable in if this assault goes on in Rafa it will make um Gaza totally unlivable in there’ll be no structure where you can form a temporary Administration or whatever to look after the pressing needs of um health and education Justice all of those day-to-day needs now that’s what worries me that is one of the unstated intentions of the war actually to make Gaza unlivable in and to see the um forced um you might say Exile off the people of Gaza you’ve been talking to people colleagues and others who are in Rafa at the moment what have they been telling you so far well first and foremost the feel the world has given up on them and they feel totally abandoned I think that I’m talking now about gazans themselves Palestinians they’re also as from this morning totally cut off from the outside world because the fact that Israel has taken over the ra of Crossing it means that um any passing through the crossing will now depend entirely upon the Israeli forces and I think that’s a deeply worrying development for them too because many have family that have already left Gaza um those fortunate enough to get exit and be able to stay in Cairo or elsewhere the possibility now of the family members being able to rejoin them I think is much lessened by what’s happened the development today Oliver what about the role of the United States and all of this uh the talks are continuing today in Cairo has this though these these very rapid developments left the White House scrambling a bit would you say well I think from the start they’ve been scrambling because um they could have played I think a much more positive role by helping the Israeli politicians to understand that they are deeply traumatized I was in Israel last week I talked to politicians they’re still in a very traumatized State understandably now you cannot make big decisions that impact um it have a long-term impact and I think the consequences of what’s Happening Now through the lack of the United States putting the right sort of pressure giving the right sort of advice will go on Oliver here we are seven months after the start of this war what’s the way out at this point do you think is there a way out well I think the only way out is first and foremost an immediate ceasefire there are no winners in this war everyone is a loser the people in Gaza the hostages the the Israeli government Hamas everyone is a loser because we see um the the the state of our Humanity when we look at the people in Gaza and the lifechanging conditions that they’ve had to endure their lives are change forever I think the only steps forward now an immediate ceasefire in opposed by the International Community and then immediate engagement recognition of Palestine the end of occupation that will see the end of resistance give Palestinians the state that been waiting for for 75 years and I think Israel will have the security it’s been looking for for the past 75 years Oliver thanks for taking the time to speak to us that’s Oliver murnan speaking to me from London

Hamas said in a statement on Tuesday that Israel’s incursion in Gaza’s Rafah crossing aimed to undermine ceasefire efforts, after the Israeli army announced it took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing between Egypt and the strip. More information with the Director of Forward Thinking, Oliver McTernan.
#Gaza #Israel #hostages

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