The only sound coming from the Gaza peace process now is silence. An Israeli strike on Hamas negotiators in Doha has officially ended all talk of a diplomatic solution, creating a vacuum that can only be filled by the sounds of war. The attack on the very individuals meant to broker a deal signals a final and decisive shift away from dialogue.
While previous ceasefire efforts had collapsed, the U.S.-backed Doha talks were the last, faint pulse of a peace process. They signified a belief that a political settlement was not only possible but necessary. The strike has flatlined these hopes, declaring through action that the only path forward is one paved by military force.
Hamas has been left with an unvarnished and grim reality: capitulate or be annihilated. The possibility of a negotiated coexistence has been extinguished. This hardline Israeli strategy aims to secure a swift and total victory, but it is more likely to create a cornered adversary with nothing left to lose, thereby guaranteeing a more protracted conflict.
The entire diplomatic enterprise is now in disarray. Qatar’s position as a go-between has been compromised, and the international community has no alternative plan. The strike has locked the conflict in a perilous state with no escape valve. The “negotiate” option has been erased, leaving only the “fight” option on the table for all sides.
