Can the Ceasefire Happen? Only Time Will Tell

Hamas Leader, Ismail Haniyah

On April 2^nd 2019 the The Jerusalem Post put out an article written by KHALED ABU TOAMEH, TOVAH LAZAROFF, YVETTE J. DEANE. The article explains the potential ceasefire on the Gaza strip between Hamas and Israel. Discussions are underway of a timeline for an attempt on a ceasefire. With Egypt being one of the three parties involved in these negotiations serving as the mediator relaying to Israel the list of demands from Hamas. Ismael Haniyeh is the head of Hamas, which is the current government in charge of the Gaza Strip and has been since 2007. Haniyeh speaks to reporters in Gaza City has made Hamas demands public concerning Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. The demands, he said, include prisoner exchange, removing signal-jamming devices installed by the Israel Prison Service to stop inmates from using smuggled cellular phones. Hamas is also demanding that the Israel Prison Service cancel sanctions imposed on the Palestinian prisoners after the stabbing of two guards two weeks ago at Ketziot Prison in the Negev. Although Hayali spoke to reporters, he was not clear on the understanding of these terms that were given to calm the violence. The reason for all this commotion is because of a violent flare up in which a rocket launched from Israel Gaza destroyed a home in central Israel, injuring seven member of the same family. Nevertheless steps and measures have occurred including the expansion of the fishing zone to 28 nautical km. and the reopening of the Kerem Shalom and Erez border crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip. A key topic in these talks are the treatment of inmates in Israeli prisons and Hamas has encouraged and asked Egypt and Quatar to intervene with Israel to cancel measures against inmates. Hamas denied that the understandings reached between the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip. Israel also included a prisoner exchange for two Israeli citizens and the remains of two Israeli soldiers killed during operation Protective edge. Ismail Radwan, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip, said that his movement was discussing with the Egyptians ways of ending Israeli “violations” against the prisoners. He also denied that the understandings talk about a long-term ceasefire with Israel. The current talks, he said, were about finding ways to consolidate the truce understandings that were reached between the Palestinian factions and Israel in 2014.

United Nations Middle East Envoy

  This article is written by KHALED ABU TOAMEH, TOVAH LAZAROFF Tovah Lazaroff the Deputy Managing Editor of The Jerusalem Post,, YVETTE J. DEANE a Breaking News Editor for the Jerusalem Post. They all have an extensive background of news writing articles in this region. Although the writers do a good job giving us direct quotes from high ranking officials during talks, however, I feel they use a lot of unknown sources from both sides that gives us no actual clue where/whom it came from or links to conduct further research which ultimately makes this report hard to rely on. The article explains that key figures spoke to reporters but fails to produce which reporters or which news organization they represent or any thing that can be traced back to the source especially on the Palestinian side. The only statements that were quoted that can be considered reliable that I will give. One by justice minister Ayalet Shaked telling Army Radio on Tuesday morning that no ceasefire deal could be reached with Hamas without the release of the Israeli captives. She added that she and Bennett also opposed humanitarian gestures until their return. Another by Nickolay Mladenov stating on Tuesday saying that the UN had been working with Egypt and “all concerned parties” as well as “I welcome the efforts of all sides to do their utmost to avoid escalation and any further unnecessary bloodshed and destruction,” and another by Bennett “is campaigning on the blood of our sons,” Goldin said in an interview on Channel 10 on Tuesday, in response to reports of a potential truce with Hamas that would include a prisoner exchange. “Where has he been for the past four years?”.

          The three writers involved in this post have worked on numerous ones together. I n my opinion I think this article does a pretty fair job keeping a neutral stand point as they offer opinions and quotes from high-ranking members on both sides. There is a bit of a bias language throughout the article in favor of Israel like “Israel’s Gaza”. The article also does a better job at providing better citations with direct quotes and radio/news stations as a pose to the Palestinians unknown sources or reporters. I also feel they involved more higher ranking officials from Israel like Far Right cabinet members, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, and Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit. With Hamas they only used Head of Hamas Haniyeh and Senior Hamas Official Ismail Radwall.