egyptians and israelis are negotiating a longer-term solution for gaza. because israel won't talk to hamas, egypt is acting as the stand-in for hamas and negotiating on that group'sbehalf.
one of the big issues on the table is the blockade of gaza. hamas wants it relaxed. israel wants to make sure that hamas isn't able to get weapons that can be used against israel.1 but egypt also borders gaza and it is one of the parties the enforces the blockade. so how can egypt represent hamas' interests in trying to get the blockade lifted when egypt itself is imposing the blockade? are they to negotiated against themselves? isn't that a pretty serious conflict of interest?
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1- israel may also be using the blockade to keep gaza economically depressed to punish the territory. that definitely was israeli policy a few years ago, but in the last two years they seem to have stepped away from it as denying pasta and children's toys to 1.7 million civilians turned into a P.R. disaster for israel. it's not clear how much they are still committed to that starve-gaza-into-submission policy now.
one of the big issues on the table is the blockade of gaza. hamas wants it relaxed. israel wants to make sure that hamas isn't able to get weapons that can be used against israel.1 but egypt also borders gaza and it is one of the parties the enforces the blockade. so how can egypt represent hamas' interests in trying to get the blockade lifted when egypt itself is imposing the blockade? are they to negotiated against themselves? isn't that a pretty serious conflict of interest?
---------------------------------------------------
1- israel may also be using the blockade to keep gaza economically depressed to punish the territory. that definitely was israeli policy a few years ago, but in the last two years they seem to have stepped away from it as denying pasta and children's toys to 1.7 million civilians turned into a P.R. disaster for israel. it's not clear how much they are still committed to that starve-gaza-into-submission policy now.
