JUST when it seemed that a breakthrough was finally at hand, peace negotiations for Gaza have hit another roadblock after Israel and Hamas accused each other of reneging on previously agreed conditions.Just days ago, both sides had reported progress in the talks, which have been caught in a frustrating cycle of stops and starts. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Israeli parliament there had been 'some progress' in the negotiations, two days after Hamas said a ceasefire agreement was 'closer than ever.'A senior Palestinian official involved in the talks even told the BBC that a deal on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release is 90-percent complete.The fresh wave of optimism was dashed after Hamas accused Israel of introducing new conditions that have 'delayed reaching an agreement,' without specifying what those conditions were.Netanyahu fired back, saying 'Hamas is once again lying, reneging on understandings already reached and continuing to create new obstacles in the negotiations.'Both sides have recalled their negotiators from Doha, and it is unlikely that another round of talks would be scheduled before the year ends.Fast-moving developmentsThe Gaza conflict has been overshadowed by fast-moving developments in the Middle East that could reshape the region's political landscape. Israel has launched aerial and ground attacks in Lebanon as it went after another archenemy, Hezbollah. And in Syria, the repressive regime of Bashar al-Assad has collapsed after being overrun by opposition forces.All this time, the United States, Egypt and Qatar were hard at work hammering out a peace deal in Gaza. They were on the homestretch, or so they thought.When Hamas fighters from Gaza crossed the border into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 to carry out a killing spree that over 1,200 people dead, no one had predicted it would trigger one of the longest and most horrific conflicts in the Middle East.Israel's response was swift and brutal. In just days, Israeli forces poured into the Palestinian enclave to 'crush and destroy' Hamas. In the process, entire villages were leveled and close to 42,000 civilians were killed. That's one of every 55 people living in Gaza.The enclave has been transformed into a humanitarian quagmire. At least 2 million people, or 96 percent of Gaza's population, face high levels of food insecurity, and all but 5 percent have access to clean water. Because of the lack of sanitation and Israel's continued denial of medical supplies, 1.7 million are infected with contagious diseases.According to Reporters Without Borders, more than 130 journalists, almost all Palestinian, have been slain since the war began. Just days ago, five journalists were killed when their car came under Israeli fire.Hopes of a breakthrough had shone through when Hamas was finally convinced to agree to a mediation.Getting Hamas on board was a major victory for the mediators. On the table was a proposal for a six-week ceasefire during which Hamas would release older, sick and female hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.Israeli forces will then pull back from densely populated areas of Gaza and allow displaced families to return to their homes.Israel will free more Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Hamas in return would return the remainder of its 250 captives.The ceasefire deal would also allow more trucks of humanitarian aid to enter Gaza daily.All those conditions are once again on hold, and the mediators are left with a heavy feeling of frustration.Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. An Israeli military strike hit a school sheltering displaced families, killing eight people, including four children. The Israeli military claimed that there was a Hamas command center in the school, making it a legitimate target.Three Palestinian babies froze to death as temperatures dropped, and an Israeli blockade continues to impede the flow of essential items that Gazans need to last through the winter.In his Urbi et Orbi message, Pope Francis denounced the 'extremely grave' humanitarian situation in Gaza and appealed for the release of captives and a ceasefire in the enclave.We pray his appeal will not fall on deaf ears. The people of Gaza have suffered for too long.
