Gaza deal: “Why now?” asks the international press

After more than 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip, Israel and the Islamist Hamas have agreed on a ceasefire and the exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, according to mediator Qatar. International media write about this:

“The Jerusalem Post” (Israel): “This is not the time to delve into the petty politics of the situation. This is not the time to whine about the release of Hamas terrorists – that can happen in due course. Today we must celebrate, both as a nation and for our nation. As a nation, because we are a people who value life more than death and because we will soon see our hostages back home alive. For our nation, because these people who were held in Gaza for 468 days are our nation. (…) Let’s leave fighting for tomorrow. We’re so good at that anyway.”

“Wall Street Journal” (USA): “When a president decides to use it, US power is something to behold. That’s a lesson from the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, reached on Wednesday, just days before Donald Trump’s inauguration. It commemorates the liberation of the US hostages from Iran in the first minutes of the Reagan presidency. (…) By threatening that ‘all hell would break loose’ if the hostages were not released by January 20, Trump – and American power – changed the incentives for the parties.”

“The Guardian” (UK): “Rarely has hope felt so fragile and inadequate. A moment long hoped and prayed for is nevertheless greeted with fear and concern, but also joy, by the Palestinians in the wasteland of the Gaza Strip and the traumatized families of the Israeli hostages. (…) Any tentative feeling of relief is overshadowed by past suffering and fears about the future. And yet, in this desperate situation, an agreement is a step forward to be welcomed and built on.”

“El Pais” (Spain): “A full and scrupulous implementation of the ceasefire in all its phases until it becomes an indefinite ceasefire is essential. If this is to later become a fair and final peace agreement, it will be difficult to abandon the two-state formula, which is best suited to guaranteeing both Israel’s security and the rights of Palestinians. The momentary relief from Wednesday’s ceasefire will forever be overshadowed by 15 months of brutal war that has so far left 400 dead Israeli soldiers and 46,700 dead in the Gaza Strip.”

“The standard” (Austria): “Precisely because the relief about the long-awaited deal is so great, one has to ask: why now? Almost the same draft agreement was presented last May. An agreement failed then, as it did in July, due to a few details. Since then, how many children have lost their parents, how many parents have lost their children – on both sides? How many hostages could have been saved, how many families in Gaza would not have been wiped out, how many young soldiers would not have had to be buried? (…)

Now it’s time to hold on. Signing a deal – and even that is yet to happen – is one thing. Keeping him alive, even beyond the first two weeks, is the real challenge.