Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House this week to discuss a highly complicated issue: ongoing negotiations over the future of Gaza and Palestine.
Netanyahu’s negotiators in Doha are waiting for instructions from their boss to finalize a much-delayed ceasefire agreement. The real challenge, however, will be to convert a temporary ceasefire into something permanent. While the Trump administration seems to favor a serious push for a temporary ceasefire, many are wondering whether to expect the end of this brutal war, or merely a two-month pause before violence resumes.
There are multiple reasons both Netanyahu and Donald Trump should be eager for a ceasefire. The U.S. president, despite opposition from many within his own party and traditional allies in the Gulf, took a risk by attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities. As a former reality TV star, Trump understands the power of social media images of children in Gaza, starving and dying from the war. Such images resonate deeply with American viewers. This toll is not just humanitarian; it’s also political, especially when amplified by the false claim that aid to Gaza is regularly stolen by Hamas.
For Netanyahu, a ceasefire is not a matter of alleviating the suffering of Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, but of managing pressures from Israel’s own military establishment. Israeli soldiers are daily paying a price for this war, with resistance forces in Gaza mounting consistent challenges to the occupation. The same day Netanyahu and his wife Sara arrived in Washington, five Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza. The Israeli military brass sees no point in continuing the war merely to appease a couple of radical cabinet members.
Moreover, Israeli citizens continue to protest daily, demanding an end to the war. They understand that the path to normalcy—one that includes the return of Israeli hostages and the eventual release of Palestinian prisoners—lies through a ceasefire and peace.
Externally, world leaders appear to have belatedly begun exerting tangible pressure on Israel. The European Union, Israel’s largest trading partner, has so far offered preferential treatment, but this is beginning to change. EU officials are studying the possibility of holding Israel accountable for violating Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which mandates respect for human rights. Brussels’ pressure, while growing, remains largely symbolic for now, but it is part of a wider shift in international sentiment.
Perhaps the most crucial factor influencing Netanyahu’s stance on a ceasefire is the looming corruption case against him. The overwhelming evidence against Netanyahu has led legal experts to predict a likely conviction. If he is found guilty, he could face prison time. This reality makes the possibility of a plea deal, where Netanyahu might agree to leave politics in exchange for avoiding prison, a powerful motivator. However, this option could vanish if ultra-Orthodox parties push for early elections. In any case, elections are scheduled for 2026, and Netanyahu doesn’t have much time to cut a deal before a final ruling is made.
The end of the war could thus represent an existential decision for Netanyahu—cut his losses, secure a ceasefire, and potentially stay out of jail. But it may not only be his political survival at stake. Hamas, along with other Palestinian resistance factions, will also face immense pressure to decide how they will behave after the war ends.
The post-war situation in Gaza is fraught with uncertainty. How will Hamas and other resistance factions act if a Palestinian, Arab, or international entity is entrusted with governing Gaza? How will Gaza be governed if Hamas and Islamic Jihad continue to possess arms? Will they agree to nonviolence, or will they use their weapons to sabotage the new governing authority? And, crucially, if they accept a temporary technocratic governing committee, how will the issue of weapons be managed?
Once a ceasefire is reached, the pressure will shift toward finding a face-saving solution for the Islamic movements. Much will depend on whether Hamas and Islamic Jihad are willing to transition from violent resistance to political engagement. Will they, as political parties, forsake their armed struggle in favor of peaceful, nonviolent resistance?
The future of Gaza hinges on the answers to these questions. But the immediate concern is finding a political solution that can end the war, begin the arduous process of rebuilding Gaza, and, most importantly, move toward a comprehensive peace that addresses the larger Palestinian issue.
Daoud Kuttab an award-winning Palestinian journalist and former Ferris professor of Journalism at Princeton University, is the author of State of Palestine NOW. Follow him on X@daoudkuttab and on Threads @dkuttab
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
The post The War in Gaza Might Finally Be Coming to an End appeared first on Newsweek.
