Geoff Bennett:
David Makovsky, there was a temporary cease-fire that was in place in November of 2023 that fell apart after a week. It fell apart on the eighth day. What’s different about this agreement or what’s different about the climate that might suggest the cease-fire deal might be more enduring?
David Makovsky, Senior Fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy: Like you said, that was the last big point was November, when 105 hostages were released for a few days of cease-fire. This is a much more ambitious effort in terms of not just a few days, but at least 42. And we hope it’s extended.
Your heart goes out to the families of these hostages who are being reunited and also to the people of Gaza who are going to get relief. I agree with Hussein Ibish that there’s been a convergence of factors here. I mean, I agree with President Biden when he said it happened because of the extreme pressure on Hamas that it’s been under, and Nick Schifrin and his setup piece about that, losing Hezbollah — they were fighting in stereo.
And now they’re — Hezbollah is out of the war after the death of Sinwar, the death of Nasrallah and the decapitation and the weakening of Iran, Biden said the weak — the worst than in decades — its weakest in decades, and the transition between governments, clearly, the fact that I think there’s unprecedented in American history that an in going and outgoing administration were sitting at the same table to get this done.
They can’t agree between Biden and Trump if it’s light or dark outside, but they could agree on this. And — but all these people want to be in the good graces of the United States, of a new administration. And I think that was also part of it as well.
But I guess I disagree a little bit with Hussein in that I don’t think it’s just the external elements of Hamas. The people that hold the keys to the hostages are in Gaza. And those are the people who are doing the killing. And so I think, without weakening them, you would not have had a deal.
