Any truce must take into account Palestinian demands

The importance of the demands of the Palestinians in the Cairo talks was the topic that dominated the headlines of the region’s papers.

The UAE’s Al Bayan said that any agreement made with Israel must include benefits for the Palestinians.

“Any agreement that does not take into consideration the number of martyrs, victims and losses will not stand because the Palestinian people did not make those sacrifices only for things to go back to the way they used to be,” said Al Bayan.

“Any truce that occurs in light of the imbalance in military powers must ensure that Israel does not preserve the right to resort to military escalation whenever it deems it necessary. This comes at a time when the Israeli government is demanding the dismantlement of the military infrastructure of Palestinian forces and factions, even though Israel continues to carry out its policies of colonisation and arrests in the West Bank,”

“It is time to set up a unified national Palestinian front to face Israeli aggression and stand firm for the rights and demands of the Palestinians. The front will be based on the key goal of the Palestinian people, which is to end the occupation and ensure the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on Palestinian lands,” concluded the editorial.

Lebanon’s Daily Star said that the people in Gaza were suffering hardships even before the war.

“It appears that any long-term cease-fire is as unachievable as ever, and while the artillery strikes may be temporarily on hold, the hell on the ground continues,” said the paper.

“In the indirect Cairo talks between Israel and Palestinian negotiators, those from Gaza are understandably asking for the removal of the blockade against it, in place since 2006, and which has rendered it nigh on impossible for citizens of the densely populated enclave to enjoy any semblance of a normal life.”

“Even before the war the people of Gaza’s access to clean water, electricity, medicine and work was greatly hindered by the blockade, and since the conflict the situation has only become more acute. The international community must mount a parallel effort to provide a basic standard of living for Gazans, and ensure access to medicine, water and education. For even if the military strikes might be on hold, Gazans continue to die a slow death.”

The Oman Tribune’s editorial touched on the demands of Hamas and future Palestinian goals even if an agreement is reached.

“The most important demand is the easing of restrictions at the border crossing and the opening of a seaport. These steps will facilitate the import of food, medicines and other essential supplies, which have been in scarcity ever since Israel began its siege of Gaza in 2007. Any full or partial lifting of the Gaza blockade will not mean that the Palestinian fight will be over. They have yet to achieve their ultimate goal: A free state. Freedom for the Palestinians is not something that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can just wish away. That is a certainty. It will happen some day in the future. The Palestinians have fought for more than 65 years and have lost thousands of lives. They are willing to fight for many more years and ready to make sacrifices of any kind as they have done in the past,” concluded the editorial.