[News] “The Paris proposal is an Israeli proposal in contradiction with the demands of the resistance”

Mon Feb 5 19:28:33 EST 2024

peoplesdispatch.org
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/02/05/the-paris-proposal-is-an-israeli-proposal-in-contradiction-with-the-demands-of-the-resistance/>
“The Paris proposal is an Israeli proposal in contradiction with the
demands of the resistance”
February 05, 2024
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/02/05/the-paris-proposal-is-an-israeli-proposal-in-contradiction-with-the-demands-of-the-resistance/>
by
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/02/05/the-paris-proposal-is-an-israeli-proposal-in-contradiction-with-the-demands-of-the-resistance/>Zoe
Alexandra <https://peoplesdispatch.org/author/zoe/>
------------------------------
[image: Netanyahu-Blinken-1024x576.jpg]

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken meets with Israeli Prime Minister
Benyamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 9, 2024. Photo: State
Department

In the last weekend of January, intelligence officials from Israel, the
United States, and Egypt, along with Qatari authorities met in Paris,
France, to discuss a proposal for a truce between Israel and the
Palestinian resistance.

The possibility of a pause in Israel’s non-stop bombing of Gaza, which in
the past four months has killed over 27,000 people, including 10,000
children, has been met with cautious optimism by many who have watched
Israel carry out innumerable atrocities, with what seems like complete
impunity.

However, a deeper look at the details of the proposal paints a much less
optimistic picture. As contradictory news reports emerge of the proposal
and its future, it is crucial to understand what is on the table and what
implications it has for the people of Palestine.
*The proposal*

The Paris proposal is not a ceasefire agreement, but a humanitarian pause
broken into three phases.

The first phase would see a 45-day pause in all hostilities along with the
release of all Israeli hostages in Gaza who are under the age of 19 or
wounded, in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners.

The number of days of the pause in the second phase has not been
determined, but it envisages the release of Israeli military personnel, in
exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners, and an
increase in the amount of aid flowing into Gaza. According to a report in *Al
Akbar* <https://al-akhbar.com/Palestine/375945>, there has also been talk
of the second phase including the withdrawal of Israeli forces from dense
residential areas, the creation of a no-fly zone in Gaza, and a guarantee
for the return of displaced Palestinians in Rafah to Northern Gaza and Gaza
city.

The focus of the third phase is to be on the exchange of bodies of the dead
for the release of more Palestinian prisoners. This phase would also
include a provision to begin dialogue to potentially reach a permanent
ceasefire.
*Apprehensions*

The Paris proposal has been met with apprehension from people across
Palestine and supporters of the Palestinian cause. Mahmoud*, a Palestinian
left leader told me, “First and foremost, we have to name (sic) that the
Paris proposal is an Israeli proposal in contradiction with the demands of
the resistance.”

The demands which have been outlined by Hamas spokespersons over the past
four months and ratified by the other Palestinian resistance factions, have
been completely disregarded in this proposal. The most essential of these
are a permanent end to the Israeli aggression in Gaza, the full withdrawal
of Israeli forces from Gaza, the lifting of the 18-year siege on Gaza, and
for the unlimited entry of aid, including for the enclave’s rebuilding.
Following the fulfillment of these demands, they call for a negotiation for
the “all for all” prisoners swap.

For Mahmoud, not only are these demands not addressed in the proposal or
left undefined, as is the case with the entry of aid and the number of
Palestinian prisoners to be released in each phase, but some of the terms
would actually see Israel “trying to achieve politically and
diplomatically, what they couldn’t achieve militarily.”

For instance, while the agreement would possibly provide for the withdrawal
of Israeli forces from major roads and urban areas, they would remain in
other areas. “This means that they’re going to maintain control over
positions inside the Gaza Strip that they plan to turn into a buffer zone,”
Mahmoud explained.

He emphasized, “This proposal would be a huge loss for the Palestinian
people. Four months of fighting, the killing of more than 30,000 people,
and the destruction of tens of thousands of homes and infrastructure to
just reach a temporary ceasefire without freeing the prisoners, or changing
or improving the conditions that Palestinians lived under prior to October
7 — I don’t think that such an agreement would be accepted by the majority
of the Palestinian parties or people, and it will be met with resistance.”
*Israel faces pressure*

Netanyahu’s war cabinet is currently reviewing the proposal to determine
some of the undefined provisions and the future of its war on Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials have had varying responses to their own
proposal, with some far-right ministers publicly rejecting it and for that
matter, any pause in the country’s military campaign.

The reality is that Israel is facing a tremendous amount of pressure to end
its genocidal war. At the international level, more and more world leaders
are joining humanitarian organizations and the United Nations in condemning
Israel and calling for an immediate ceasefire. Israel is also facing
regional pressure, as Yemeni, Lebanese, and Iraqi resistance groups have
been launching different types of operations against it in solidarity with
the Palestinian people. The regional dynamic of the war is likely to
escalate with the United States conducting retaliatory strikes against
these groups.

While Netanyahu and other ministers are defiant in the face of the ruling
of the International Court of Justice and resolutions of the United Nations
calling for a ceasefire, the Israeli government also faces significant
challenges domestically. A key source of pressure are the families of the
hostages who have demanded that Netanyahu’s government reach a prisoner
exchange deal at any cost.

Added to this is the fact that despite the destruction and bloodshed which
it has unleashed, Israel has still failed to achieve its military
objectives in Gaza — the complete destruction of the resistance and
infrastructure, and the return of the hostages without negotiations and
through a military operation.

“Four months later, they haven’t realized any of these goals and their
forces are exhausted,” Mahmoud told me. He explained, “All of these reasons
are pushing the Israelis through allies to actually engage in dialogue and
reach an agreement that would enable them to be victorious at a certain
level. Whatever they couldn’t achieve through the military operation, they
are now trying to achieve through political avenues.”

Pressure from the United States, Israel’s biggest political and financial
backer, to end fighting in Gaza, is also a significant part of the
calculation. Joe Biden’s administration has been under heavy criticism from
broad sections of society, including traditional supporters of the
Democratic Party, for its stubborn support to Israel. Many analysts predict
that Biden’s response to the genocide in Gaza could even cost him
reelection in November.

On January 29, just a day after the Paris proposal was first drafted, US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during a joint press conference with
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, said, “I believe the [Paris]
proposal is a strong one and a compelling one that, again, offers some hope
that we can get back to this process. But Hamas will have to make its own
decisions.”
*What’s next?*

The Paris proposal is still being reviewed and discussed by both parties
and it is likely that in the coming days, they will make announcements
regarding the viability and future of the document. As US Secretary of
State Antony Blinken is set to visit the region and has
<https://www.state.gov/secretary-blinkens-call-with-saudi-foreign-minister-prince-faisal-bin-farhan-al-saud-11/>
“reiterated the importance of securing a humanitarian pause that includes
the release of hostages held by Hamas,” it is likely there will be
increased pressure for some version of this proposal to move forward.

However, as Mahmoud stated firmly, “Palestinians are not going to accept
any truce if it doesn’t ensure the ending of the siege, if it doesn’t
ensure the freedom of our political prisoners, and bettering the conditions
inside of Gaza. People on the ground in Gaza and Palestine and the Arab
region will not celebrate such a deal that is only about a temporary
ceasefire without the [fulfillment of] other demands that the resistance
and the Palestinian people rallied behind since the beginning of this
battle.”
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