The West is powerless in resolving the Gaza conflict
Author: Ali Askari, analyst (Germany), especially for “Sangar”
Recent diplomatic efforts, culminating in a peace agreement reached in Egypt under the mediation of the Trump administration, raise serious questions about their actual effectiveness and long-term sustainability. Despite loud statements about a “breakthrough,” this agreement, reached under pressure, offers no real guarantees for the parties to the conflict and, in essence, does not bring the resolution of key issues any closer.
The core issues involve the complete disarmament and dissolution of Hamas on one side, and the full withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from the Gaza Strip on the other. Without addressing these fundamental questions, any ceasefire remains merely a temporary pause, creating the illusion of peace but leaving the root causes of the longstanding conflict untouched, condemning the region to new rounds of escalation.
The return of hostages, although presented to the world as a humanitarian gesture, is in reality more of a symbolic display. It significantly reduces public pressure on the Israeli authorities and, more importantly, allows the Zionist regime to resume military operations at any moment under any pretext.
Moreover, despite the declared ceasefire, Israel continues to strike the Gaza Strip, undermining global trust in it and casting doubt on the sincerity of its intentions. The U.S. president may have temporarily succeeded in presenting himself as a peacemaker, supposedly resolving the age-old Arab-Israeli conflict. However, his statements about the “arrival of peace” and “disarmament of militants” remain far from reality, masking unresolved contradictions and the fragility of the agreements reached.
There are already precedents of Israel failing to fulfill its commitments, raising serious concerns. For instance, after the formal ceasefire with Lebanon, Israeli forces not only failed to reduce activity but increased strikes against Lebanese territory, demonstrating a consistent tendency to ignore existing agreements.
This alarming scenario is repeating itself today. Without real, tangible, and—most importantly—consistent external pressure on Israel, the ceasefire in Gaza risks collapse, just like many previous attempts. The absence of enforcement mechanisms renders any Western efforts to influence the peace process effectively meaningless, leaving Israel free to act at its own discretion.
In this context, the continuation of the war in Gaza appears not only as a tool to achieve tactical objectives but also as the only way for Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to retain power. His policy for many years has been built on confrontation with the Palestinian state, and a genuine peace settlement contradicts the very basis of his electoral support.
Thus, any Western attempt to influence peaceful resolution in the region, without a fundamental overhaul of approaches—including the imposition of real pressure for peace and a change in Israel’s political paradigm—is doomed to fail. The region remains a hostage to perpetual conflict, while the West demonstrates its inability to serve as a genuine guarantor of peace.