Unanswered questions about the Gaza cease-fire talks

Dear Editor:

When President Biden introduced his proposal for cease-fire in Gaza, he said it would provide for Israel's security and that Hamas would no longer rule Gaza. Nothing in his description of his proposal gave any clue as to how it would bring about either result. At this moment, the United States, Egypt (which allowed the massive arming of Hamas through tunnels across its border with Gaza) and Qatar (a major funder of Hamas and host of its leadership) are mediating negotiations to finalize the details of a cease-fire based on that proposal, perversely without the participation of Hamas.

It's self-evident that Hamas will never agree to a proposal that would remove it from power in Gaza, nor will it ever agree to a proposal which would provide for Israeli security.

Where is the critical reporting of those obvious realities?

In a moment of moral clarity after October 7, President Biden correctly said Hamas had to be eliminated. Rather than going through farcical efforts to impose a ceasefire that will be no more successful than those prematurely imposed in 2006, 2008, 2014 and 2021, isn't it time to actually give Israel that ironclad support he promised and help it bring peace closer by finally eliminating Hamas?

Sincerely,

Alan Stein

Submitted August 17, 2024 to The New York Times

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