• Bahbah says Israel has failed to comply with key parts of the agreement: ‘The violations have been from day one … They’ve been killing people and injuring people, destroying homes’
• ‘The peace process is going to continue … President Trump is committed to that process,’ says Bahbah, who has been involved in informal mediation channels between the US and Hamas

DOHA

A lasting peace in Gaza will only be possible if negotiations produce a “middle ground that would be acceptable to Palestinians,” according to Palestinian-American academic Bishara Bahbah, who has been involved in informal mediation channels between the US and Hamas.

Speaking to Anadolu on the sidelines of the Doha Forum, Bahbah said he does not expect a return to full-scale war but warned that “negotiations are at a critical point.”

He said several core elements of the peace deal remain undecided – most notably the structure of the Peace Board, the Palestinian Technical Committee to administer Gaza, and the mandate of an International Stabilization Force (ISF).

“All these issues are outstanding issues, but I believe that they will be decided between now and the end of the year,” he said.

Bahbah pointed out that Israel has failed to comply with key parts of the agreement.

“The violations have been from day one, and they have taken place on a daily basis … They’ve been killing people and injuring people, destroying homes,” he said.

He cited several other commitments Israel has not met: “The Israelis were supposed to open the Rafah crossing in both directions,” he said.

“The Israelis were supposed to allow food in sufficient quantities … The Israelis were supposed to allow heavy equipment to go in, tents to go in … and none of those things have happened.”

Bahbah said breaches will continue unless the US puts its weight behind enforcement.

“Unfortunately, unless President (Donald) Trump says enough is enough to the Israelis, the Israelis will continue violating the agreement,” he said.

He believes that stronger enforcement will come once international forces deploy inside Gaza.

“If you have foreign troops in Gaza, it becomes very difficult for Israel to attack,” he said. “If one of those soldiers is injured or killed by mistake or not, then it’s going to create an international crisis.”

“I am hoping that the end of these violations will come with the introduction of phase two of the agreement.”

‘Disarmament has to come through negotiations’

One of the most contentious issues is disarmament, according to Bahbah, and what the term actually means.

“The definition of disarmament is very important,” Bahbah said. “The Israelis say disarmament entails taking or destroying all the weapons that Hamas has, and Hamas committing not to develop any weapons, not to smuggle any weapons, and to destroy the tunnels.”

But Hamas, he added, insists the issue must be handled through political negotiations – not ultimatums.

“Hamas is saying, first of all, don’t threaten us. We got the hostages released through negotiations, so don’t threaten us. If we were to talk about disarmament, it has to come through negotiations,” he said.

“And there are conditions … Israel has to withdraw from Gaza, the International Stabilization Force has to enter, and there has to be a path to a Palestinian state.”

Regarding the ISF, Bahbah said Palestinians and other nations see Türkiye as a vital guarantor, even as Israel continues to reject Ankara’s involvement.

“Türkiye’s inclusion in the International Stabilization Force is critical from the Palestinians’ perspective,” he said. “Many countries are not willing to go into Gaza without Türkiye’s presence … President Trump is very much in support of Türkiye’s inclusion in the force.”

Overall, Bahbah acknowledged that the road to peace remains difficult, but compromise is the only viable path.

“There has to be an agreement on a middle ground that would be acceptable to the Palestinians,” he said. “Israel wants everything the way it wants – no ifs and buts – but that just simply cannot happen.”

Despite the challenges, Bahbah remains confident the process will advance.

“I believe that the peace process is going to continue. It’s going to hold. It will not collapse,” he said. “President Trump is committed to that process … I think it’s a matter of a few weeks from now.”