Hopes for ceasefire in Israel and Palestine wane

Diplomatic pressure on Hamas and Israel to declare a ceasefire continues to grow despite the fact that neither party believes they have much to gain from such an agreement.

The New York Times reports that Hamas is unwilling to accept a ceasefire unless their demands are met. This is because of the heavy toll on civilian life that a Hamas government has brought to the Gaza Strip. In the last three weeks of fighting, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed. The United Nations estimates that around 75 percent of the casualties have been civilians.

If Hamas is not able to secure some type of concrete material gain that will improve the livelihood of their constituents, then they will lose power and legitimacy in the Gaza Strip.

The major concession Hamas is seeking in this round of fighting is the opening up of border crossings to allow in supplies and enable the free movement of Gazans so they may work in Israel or Egypt. The closed border crossings make it nearly impossible to travel, receive goods, and carry out trade. Meanwhile, an Israeli naval blockade prevents the arrival of commercial ships, further stymying trade.

At the same time however, Israel is demanding the full demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. This would mean the handing over of Hamas' rockets, which are fired indiscriminately at civilian population centers. It would also mean the revealing and destruction of the elaborate network of underground tunnels and bunkers Hamas uses to travel through the strip and avoid aerial and naval bombardments. The tunnels are also used to launch attacks inside of Israel.

The full demilitarization of the strip is something of a pipe dream, as many in Gaza believe the violence is the only language that the Israelis will listen to, according to the Times. 

Given the intractable positions of both sides, it seems likely that more will die on each side before any semblance of a lasting peace is contemplated.