<p>A ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which came into effect on Friday, has brought to an end eleven days of ferocious fighting. At least 240 people were killed either by Hamas rockets or Israeli aerial strikes, the overwhelming majority of them – 232, including women and children – were Gazans. Both the conflict actors, the Israeli government and Hamas, are busy spinning victory narratives.</p>.<p>While Israel has claimed “unprecedented military gains”, Hamas has said that it forced Israel to agree to a truce. Understandably, civilians, who bore the brunt of the fighting, who lost friends and family and whose homes were reduced to rubble in the relentless bombing, are not claiming victory. Whether the ceasefire will last is hard to say but it will give civilians a respite.</p>.<p>Egypt brokered the truce between Israel and Hamas. This was possible because of the relationship Cairo has with the conflict actors. While Egypt and Israel are strategic partners, Cairo wields influence over Hamas as it provides Gaza with the only passage to the outside world that is outside Israel’s control. Importantly, a US role was restricted by the fact that it has declared Hamas a terrorist organisation and hence cannot negotiate with it.</p>.<p>The Israel-Palestine crisis is the first major foreign policy challenge for US President Joe Biden. His long silence on the hostilities and his repeated expression of support to Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas’ rockets even as he failed to extend such support to the Palestinians against Israeli bombing have drawn criticism worldwide. Indeed, Democrat Congressmen have been urging him to pressure Israel to scale back its strikes on Gaza and to express concern for Palestinian casualties, too.</p>.<p>Unlike his predecessor, Donald Trump, who would have tweeted offensive and anti-Palestinian remarks right through the crisis, Biden chose “quiet diplomacy.” It appears that while avoiding publicly rapping Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on his knuckles, Biden was pressing him to agree to a ceasefire. With the truce done, Biden has done well to correct his earlier pro-Israel tilt, at least in his public statements.</p>.<p>“Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live safely and securely,” he said in a statement an hour before the truce took effect. He has also promised to contribute funds for the reconstruction of Gaza, although he has stressed that this will be routed through the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority and not Hamas. If Biden is keen to play a meaningful role in the Israel-Palestine conflict, he must recognise the reality on the ground. The US must engage Hamas.</p>
<p>A ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which came into effect on Friday, has brought to an end eleven days of ferocious fighting. At least 240 people were killed either by Hamas rockets or Israeli aerial strikes, the overwhelming majority of them – 232, including women and children – were Gazans. Both the conflict actors, the Israeli government and Hamas, are busy spinning victory narratives.</p>.<p>While Israel has claimed “unprecedented military gains”, Hamas has said that it forced Israel to agree to a truce. Understandably, civilians, who bore the brunt of the fighting, who lost friends and family and whose homes were reduced to rubble in the relentless bombing, are not claiming victory. Whether the ceasefire will last is hard to say but it will give civilians a respite.</p>.<p>Egypt brokered the truce between Israel and Hamas. This was possible because of the relationship Cairo has with the conflict actors. While Egypt and Israel are strategic partners, Cairo wields influence over Hamas as it provides Gaza with the only passage to the outside world that is outside Israel’s control. Importantly, a US role was restricted by the fact that it has declared Hamas a terrorist organisation and hence cannot negotiate with it.</p>.<p>The Israel-Palestine crisis is the first major foreign policy challenge for US President Joe Biden. His long silence on the hostilities and his repeated expression of support to Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas’ rockets even as he failed to extend such support to the Palestinians against Israeli bombing have drawn criticism worldwide. Indeed, Democrat Congressmen have been urging him to pressure Israel to scale back its strikes on Gaza and to express concern for Palestinian casualties, too.</p>.<p>Unlike his predecessor, Donald Trump, who would have tweeted offensive and anti-Palestinian remarks right through the crisis, Biden chose “quiet diplomacy.” It appears that while avoiding publicly rapping Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on his knuckles, Biden was pressing him to agree to a ceasefire. With the truce done, Biden has done well to correct his earlier pro-Israel tilt, at least in his public statements.</p>.<p>“Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live safely and securely,” he said in a statement an hour before the truce took effect. He has also promised to contribute funds for the reconstruction of Gaza, although he has stressed that this will be routed through the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority and not Hamas. If Biden is keen to play a meaningful role in the Israel-Palestine conflict, he must recognise the reality on the ground. The US must engage Hamas.</p>