The ongoing negotiations in Doha, under U.S. pressure and deceptive manoeuvres by Netanyahu’s government, may be the last opportunity — the decisive line between the continuation and expansion of war, and a period of calm in the region.
There is clear optimism from Donald Trump and his team about the possibility of reaching an agreement, which has led him, for the first time, to avoid blaming Hamas directly. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff has confirmed that the negotiations have resolved three points of contention, with only one remaining to be addressed.
Trump had hoped to announce the deal himself with Netanyahu at his side, but it seems Netanyahu will depart before Trump has the chance to seize that moment.
What appears on the surface in front of the media covering Netanyahu’s visit certainly does not reflect what is happening behind closed doors. Despite the mutual praise they have exchanged and their repeated declarations of “victory” in the war on Iran, the realities on the ground in the Middle East may not grant them many more opportunities to continue this “victory narrative.”
The Israeli magician — always adept at political tricks — handed Trump his nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize even before achieving peace on any front other than his claimed success on the India–Pakistan front.
If the Nobel Peace Committee were to grant Trump its prize amidst ongoing wars of aggression and conflicts, it would fall into the same abyss as the collapsing world order and its false values.
While conditions in Gaza teeter between continued war and fragile calm, the “fascist coalition government” in the occupying state continues its genocide, starvation tactics, and efforts to create conditions for forced displacement of Gaza’s people under insidious humanitarian pretexts.
Regardless of the claims of victory by either the occupying state or the Palestinian resistance in Gaza, the occupation state is — by its own officials’ admission — failing to achieve the decisive victory Netanyahu wants.
After a series of ambushes in Khan Younis and Beit Hanoun, many Israelis are now acknowledging that Hamas has regained its capabilities, as if it were the early days of the aggression on the Strip.
Just as the occupying state negotiates under fire with increased force to impose its terms at the table, the resistance escalates its strikes in an unprecedented manner based on the same principle.
The ambush in Beit Hanoun, which killed five soldiers and wounded fourteen more, was shocking — taking place in an area where the occupation army had left no people, stones, or trees standing.
Despite repeatedly declaring that it had secured Beit Hanoun and dismantled its resistance cells, the occupation continues to suffer some of its heaviest human and material losses there — deepening the narrative about the futility of this brutal war and the difficulty of achieving even minimal goals.
At the same time, Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthis) continue escalating their missile and drone attacks on the occupying state and targeting ships heading there — in tandem with the resistance’s successful attacks.
While the U.S. believes it is moving successfully toward a bargain to fully disarm Hezbollah, not only in southern Lebanon but entirely, in exchange for Israel’s withdrawal from five occupied sites in the south, this equation could explode at any moment. The situation in Syria could also flare up, undermining any hope that the new Syrian government might normalise ties with the occupying state.
In reality, there is little hope that Israel will abandon its occupation of Syrian land, stop its aggressions, and return to the 1974 agreement.
Amid all these open and potential fronts, the occupying state refuses to give up its “right” to carry out aggressive, criminal operations under the pretext of defending itself and eliminating present or potential threats.
Iran remains the primary focus of the U.S.–Zionist alliance — a front open to all possibilities, foremost among them the resumption of an all-out war. Regardless of Trump’s view, the occupying state is actively working to topple Iran’s system through a series of assassinations.
The Iranian president has openly stated that he survived an assassination attempt, as did the foreign minister. Meanwhile, the technological and human intelligence war between the two sides is intensifying.
The Americans talk about Iran’s willingness to negotiate and suggest that talks may begin soon, while the Iranians buy more time to rebuild their defensive systems and show no enthusiasm for returning to negotiations, especially since trust with the U.S. has fallen below zero.
The Iranians speak of regaining their ability to enrich uranium out of sight of IAEA inspectors, having suspended cooperation with the agency.
Meanwhile, the savage, destructive war in the West Bank seems to receive minimal attention amid the noise about Iran, Gaza, and other fronts — yet the West Bank is enduring a true war, mirroring the campaign of ethnic cleansing, destruction, and uprooting that Gaza faces.
It is clear that the Middle East is heading toward one of two outcomes: either a comprehensive war — or a comprehensive peace, including a genuine resolution of Palestinian political rights and the Palestinian people’s fate.
