US-Hamas mediator Bahbah to 'Post': Both sides must resume negotiations, reach immediate ceasefire
Palestinian-American businessman Dr. Bishara Bahbah, who has served as a mediator between Hamas and the US administration in recent months, called for an immediate return to the negotiating table to end the ongoing war in Gaza during an exclusive interview with The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
He warned that prolonged military action would only deepen the human toll and jeopardize the lives of hostages.
"Israel is in a situation where it does not want to be. The Israeli public does not want to see Israeli soldiers in Gaza being killed. And the situation for Palestinians is untenable," Bahbah told The Jerusalem Post.
Bahbah claims the current phase of the conflict has reached a point where military operations have become "a useless activity" that "could endanger the hostages" and fail to resolve the crisis.
In recent days, Qatar and mediators have beenworking with Hamas on a deal that would include the release of all hostages and an end to the war. Asked if he sees a possibility of reaching this kind of deal, Bahbah stressed, "If negotiations for a comprehensive deal are going to take place while there is military action, and while people are getting killed, that's not a good situation."
According to Bahbah, a partial agreement, such as a 60-day truce that could be extended, could provide the breathing space needed to hammer out a broader deal, without ongoing hostilities or further civilian casualties. "For Israel's sake, without the hostages being put at risk of being killed," he added.
Bahbah, who has been involved in multiple mediation meetings over the past few months, acknowledged that his experience shows negotiations for a deal to release all the hostages can stretch on for months. Nonetheless, he believes a full deal is attainable.
Reflecting on the recent talks, Bahbah said the sides were "close to a partial deal," even though Hamas's initial response was rejected by Israel. "It was subject to negotiations. The number of Palestinian prisoners being released is almost irrelevant when it comes to people getting killed and being starved," he said, adding that Hamas understood this reality. "We could have reached a deal, but within days, the negotiations were cut off."
Bahbah urges Hamas to come to deal, end pointless killing
Bahbah's message to Hamas has been blunt: "Every day you delay, we have 80 to 100 Palestinians being killed—sometimes more. If we had three weeks of delay, we're talking about 1,500 to 2,000 people being killed. That is a large number while we're wasting time negotiating 100 meters there or an additional five prisoners here. To me, these issues are irrelevant. What we need to do is stop the killing and come to an agreement."
Bahbah has criticized both Israel and Hamas for their actions in recent weeks. He emphasized that his priority is not protecting one side from criticism, but ending the war. "I don't care who I criticize. All I want is to see a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to this [current] strategy."
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