A US-Hamas dialogue could shift us from war to peace
Khaled Mashaal, head of Hamas political bureau meets with a non-governmental US delegation, headed by David Newton, former US ambassador in various Arab countries, in Damascus, Syria on 29 May 2010
Rami G Khouri writes in Al Jazeera on 29 January 2025:
Last week, senior Hamas and United States officials expressed to the media their mutual willingness to engage in “a dialogue”. The statements by senior Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk and US presidential Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff most likely meant to test the waters for future diplomatic moves, perhaps due to their shared recognition that Israel’s current war-making frenzy in the region, which could soon reach Iran, is bad news for all concerned.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly shown his intention to end the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, which detract from his bigger plans to reconfigure US global relations; and Hamas has taken an opportunity to demonstrate during the ceasefire that it is still in control of Gaza and remains an important political group among the Palestinians.
In this context, the sudden inclination by the US and Hamas towards “dialogue” should be taken seriously and explored carefully because it is possible and in the best interest of all concerned in the Middle East and beyond.
There is certainly a wide gulf between the two actors: Washington has been deeply complicit in Israel’s genocidal devastation in Gaza, while the Hamas resistance movement is widely seen as a terrorist organisation by much of the West. But this is precisely why they must meet, talk, and accurately identify each other’s positions and potential to shift from militarism to peacemaking. The ongoing ceasefire is an opportunity to launch this process, which is why completing its three phases should now be the top priority.