Prevent the Prolonging of the War Now!

This is a message to the people responsible for the negotiations on ending the war in Gaza. It is a message to the members of the Israeli team (excluding the politicians attached to Netanyahu’s coat strings). It is a message to the Qatari and Egyptian mediators. It is a message to President Trump and his chief emissary Steve Witkoff, and to Bishara Bahbah, the American-Palestinian ally of Trump working with the US negotiating team.

It is a message to the leaders of the Arab world—starting with MBS and MBZ and including King Abdullah II and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. It is a message to those Members of Knesset who have a moral code that goes beyond obeying the orders of the Israeli supreme leader. It is a message to the chiefs of the Israeli army and the heads of Israel’s security apparatuses. It is also a message to the Hamas leadership and their negotiating team.

The war in Gaza must come to an end now. The ceasefire deal that is on the table is a bad deal and must be replaced immediately with an end-of-war deal that brings home all of the hostages at once, releases Palestinian prisoners, brings about full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and marks a full and complete end to the war.

The deal that is on the table is a bad deal because it does not end the war. It does not end the death and destruction. It leaves half of the hostages in Gaza and delays the arrangements that would create a new legitimate Palestinian government for Gaza (without Hamas).

The deal prolongs the war in Gaza and is on the table solely for internal Israeli political reasons. The war is essentially over in terms of its strategic aims—it ended many months ago. Netanyahu knows it. The Chief of Staff of the IDF knows it. The Shin Bet and the Mossad know it too.

The absence of a political-diplomatic end to the war—a strategic decision by Netanyahu and a complete and total political failure of the Palestinian leadership—does not change the futility, cruelty, and horror of prolonging the war.

When Israelis open their eyes to what they have done in Gaza, when Israel finally allows international journalists to enter, what we will bear witness to is the horrific committing of war crimes and crimes against humanity by Israel.

As we approach what may become 100,000 deaths in Gaza (4.35% of the population) and the almost total destruction of all infrastructure and housing, the dimensions of what the world has allowed to happen will become far more apparent.

If 4.35% of Americans were killed in a war, that would be 14,758,200 American citizens. In Germany, it would be 3,555,000 Germans. In Britain, 2,873,000 citizens. In Saudi Arabia, 1,367,000. How can anyone with a conscience agree to this war continuing even one more day?

How has this been allowed to continue for almost two years? Don’t say there was no choice. There are always choices.

Israelis will not rally to end the war because of all the death and destruction in Gaza—which is very sad and a troubling commentary on the changes that have occurred inside Israel over the last decades.

Since October 7, nearly 900 Israeli soldiers have been killed, in addition to about 800 Israeli civilians. That does not include the 30 hostages whose bodies are still held captive in Gaza. There are still 20 Israeli hostages believed to be alive.

How long will they survive the captivity of Hamas and the pressure from the Israeli military (which has also killed Israeli hostages)? How long will Israelis allow Netanyahu to prolong the war for political reasons?

Anyone who supports the bad ceasefire deal on the table is a collaborator in the continued death and destruction of this war.

Yehya Sinwar was prepared, according to his own words, to sacrifice 100,000 Gazans to liberate Palestine. He did not liberate Palestine. And Palestine will not be liberated by killing Israelis.

Sinwar committed an act of collective national suicide for which his own people, in the future, will call him a criminal against the Palestinian people.

The remaining Hamas leadership outside Gaza know that Hamas’s armed struggle—its “resistance” strategy—is bankrupt. They know Hamas can no longer control Gaza. They have publicly expressed many times that they are prepared to accept a Palestinian civilian rule in Gaza that does not include them.

Hamas started this war—or this chapter of the many Israeli-Palestinian wars—on October 7, and Hamas has the responsibility now to bring it to an end.

Hamas must refuse to negotiate a partial deal that prolongs the war. Hamas must tell the negotiators and mediators that the only acceptable deal is one that ends the war and includes the release of all Israeli hostages, alive and dead, at once—in exchange for ending the war, full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas must declare officially and publicly that its rule over Gaza has come to an end. It must agree to turn over control of Gaza to a temporary governor appointed by Mahmoud Abbas—someone who is not from Hamas.

Hamas should declare support for Abbas’s call for Palestinian national elections within 12 months. Armed groups or political parties that oppose the PLO’s position in support of a two-state solution should not be eligible to participate.

This is what Hamas must do to bring the war to an end. This is what Hamas must do because there is no other viable strategy for creating a Palestinian state next to Israel.

President Trump needs to hold firm to his position that the war in Gaza must end now. He must tell Netanyahu very clearly that the war is over and it is time to make the deal.

Trump must tell Netanyahu to trust Steve Witkoff to ensure that the war ends with Hamas standing down from power in Gaza. The US must assure Hamas that if it ends its control over Gaza and hands over all the hostages, Israel will not renew the fighting and will fully withdraw.

Israel can protect its citizens from the border. Israeli troops do not need to remain in Gaza.

President Trump must also tell Netanyahu and the Arab leaders that a new mechanism will be in place at the Rafah crossing to ensure no illegal smuggling occurs.

Qatar, Turkey, and other countries should offer to accept any Hamas leaders—civilian or military—who are willing to leave Gaza safely with their families.

There are many pieces to put together to end this war. But with that, the free choice to continue it must be taken away from both Israel and Hamas.

The powers that be—in the United States and the region—are strong enough to say: Enough. And to mean it.

This is not fantasy. It is not naïve. It is what a majority of Israelis want. Without question, it is what a majority of Palestinians want as well. People across the region, and their leaders, want this war to end now.

Tell Netanyahu. Tell Hamas. Take the bad partial ceasefire deal off the table—and sign the only acceptable deal: the deal to end the war now.