A dispute arose in the past 24 hours regarding the current proposal for a hostage deal. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed that Hamas rejected the proposal, while the terrorist organization accused Israel of rejecting it.
Lt. Col. (Res.) Avi Kalo, former head of the Prisoners and Missing Persons Department, spoke recently with Or Heller and Maya Ziv-Wolf on 103FM radio about the issue.
Kalo stated, "There's no doubt that Hamas's refusal is prominent. Sinwar is certainly rubbing his hands in delight at Israel's difficulty on the international stage. Other elements also led him to his very blunt stance as the refuser in the process.
"There are really 'goats' there, as they are called in negotiation terminology, which is truly complex. Secretary of State Blinken also referred to these, stating that most things are impassable. The prominent component is Hamas's ability to control the situation. Beyond that, another very central 'goat' that does not align with the Security Council's decision is the inclusion of Russia, China, and Turkey as guarantors of the agreement. This is a blatant deviation from the international understandings that were agreed upon and mediated by the UN. Apparently, Sinwar feels satisfied in his comfort zone and does not want to see the end of the campaign anytime soon," Kalo added.
How much can the United States influence the deal?
"It's a very tough challenge for Western countries, certainly for a superpower like the USA. Even with all the power the Americans have, ultimately, there's difficulty in negotiating with terrorist organizations. They have done this with the Taliban and militias in Iraq. The Americans need to focus on returning to the negotiating table. Beyond that, the Americans need to look beyond the combined field of Hamas, Qatar, the USA, and Egypt and add more players to the international front. Perhaps the Security Council resolution is a kind of first sign, but there is still much work to be done."
"The picture is certainly not encouraging, but our role is to exhaust all options—we must continue to exhaust this process, especially from the moral aspect of returning the hostages to their homes and also from the professional aspect. Negotiations have difficulties and low points, and perhaps we are in the greatest one in the process, but it is the professionals' duty to find the gaps. If we can't enter through the main door, we will respectfully enter through the window." Kalo concluded his remarks.
Edited by Shani Romano for 103FM radio.