By: Justin Ding

World leaders met in Rome as they discussed the situation in Gaza as violence and war continued and new issues emerged.
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On October 7th of 2023, Hamas attacked southern Israel and continued a decades-long conflict in Israel, Palestine, and the surrounding countries. Ten months later, the war is ongoing with increasing tension and no end in sight.

There have been five major peace negotiations involving key international actors such as Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, with the latest negotiations unsuccessful. These failed negotiations could mean more civilian casualties, millions of displaced refugees, and more violence in the future.

According to Kamel Abu Jamea, 73, a Khan Younis resident with a sick wife who is also 73 years old, “My wife can’t even walk five meters,” he said. “I can’t leave her and go.”

While most negotiations were unsuccessful, there have been a few minor successes. In the middle of October 2023, with Egypt and Qatar as mediators, a short ceasefire was created to lend humanitarian support to civilians affected.

About one month later, in early November, the United States and the United Nations acted as mediators to release some hostages in exchange for a limited release of soldiers from Israel.

According to Barak Ravid, a reporter covering foreign policy for Axios, “Israeli negotiators were not hopeful on Friday that the meeting in Rome would lead to a breakthrough and doubted that Biden’s pressure on Netanyahu had convinced the prime minister to soften some of his new tough demands in the updated Israeli proposal.”

In conclusion, there is a war in Gaza between Hamas and Israel. There have been negotiations for peace and ceasefire, some successful and some not.