Hameed Qarman

The first Lebanese-Israeli talks, held at the US State Department in Washington, were a positive and important diplomatic step toward stemming the spiral of conflict in the Middle East. Burdened by political and military complications, the region faces the threat of sinking into further chaos and destruction. The obstacles to peace are not limited to the actions of the far-right Israeli government led by Binyamin Netanyahu.

There are no harbingers of optimistic scenarios stemming from the ongoing negotiations over a truce in Gaza still taking place in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

Mediators and parties to the Israeli-Hamas conflict are trying in vain to reach a truce in the Gaza Strip before the first day of the holy month Ramadan. The facts on the negotiating table are clearly visible. A race against time is under way with many rounds of talks under political pressure, wrapped in pre-emptive statements as rivals seek to outsmart each other. These crippled negotiations are trying to end the tragedy befalling Gaza.