and exchanged for 180 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, a week after the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between and and the first exchange of hostages for prisoners.
The award-winning American-Palestinian journalist and former professor of journalism at Princeton University, Dowd, expresses his serious reservations, however, about the final cessation of the bloody war in Gaza, despite the relief that the truce brought to the families of the hostages and to the citizens of Gaza. Qutab.
Will the cease-fire agreement proceed normally, or can we see roadblocks being erected and provocations being made in the coming days?
“I think, by and large, the process will go ahead despite the reluctance of Netanyahu, who was forced to acquiesce because, including senior Israeli military officers. If we finally see the exchange shake in the air, it will be solely because of the Israelis. They refuse to release specific Palestinian prisoners, for political reasons.”
Details of the deal remain murky. What is the biggest problem?
“The big problem is one: the second phase of the truce. And this is because Israel remains unwilling to declare an end to the war, to withdraw its troops from the Philadelphic Corridor, at the border of its Strip
Gaza with Egypt, and effectively end the physical presence of the Israeli army in Gaza.”
Do you see another factor that could jeopardize the smooth process of the truce?
“Sure. I think he is in a state of shock because of the image of the armed Hamas in line after the ceasefire was put in place. It appeared with brand new vehicle models – their release year is 2025 – and huge bulldozers.”
What will happen after the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza?
“What is needed now is the unification of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) with Hamas for the next day, with the help of the US, Qatar and Egypt, countries that must manage to convince in this direction and Israel”.
What are the conditions for a permanent truce to be reached?
“Achieving meaningful political development in Gaza. “Explosions” happen when people lose hope. For Israel to avoid any new October 7, the Palestinians must see, hear and feel the political change that can give them hope again.”
Will Marwan Barghouti, a figure widely accepted by Palestinians for their leadership who is being held in an Israeli prison, finally be released?
“He will be released because among the criteria that have been agreed, is the priority of releasing those who have a life sentence and have already served more than two decades.”
