Who can broker peace between Israel, Hamas? Can India help?

The war between Israel and Hamas entered Day 5 and there was no sign of de-escalation yet. The Israeli military pounded Gaza with retaliatory airstrikes after Saturday’s surprise attack by Hamas. The militant group has threatened to kill hostages taken from Israel and continued to target the Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Tel Aviv.

Since Saturday, more than 1,000 people have died in Israel. The death toll in Gaza has mounted to 900. More killings and destruction are expected in days to come as both sides refuse to relent.

But how and when will this raging conflict end? Can the international community step in? We take a look at those who may play peacemaker – or even negotiate a ceasefire.

Don’t miss: Our coverage from Tel Aviv on the Israel-Hamas war

India

Amid the ongoing conflict, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu dialled his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Tuesday. This was their first conversation since the Hamas attack.

PM Modi reportedly told the Israeli leader that “people of India stand in solidarity with Israel in this difficult hour”. Appreciating Netanyahu “for his phone call and providing an update on the ongoing situation”, Modi, in a post on X later, said, “India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”

I thank Prime Minister @netanyahu for his phone call and providing an update on the ongoing situation. People of India stand firmly with Israel in this difficult hour. India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 10, 2023

While the Ministry of External Affairs has not issued a statement on the conflict, PM Modi had said soon after the attack that “India stands in solidarity with Israel”. While he did not name Hamas, said he was “shocked by the news of the terrorist attack in Israel”.

India has to walk to diplomatic tightrope. While the country has in the past backed Palestine, PM Modi has developed a friendship with Israel in his nine years in power.

But can the Indian leader attempt to negotiate between the two warring sides? Amid talks of India’s role in the matter, the former head of Israel’s military intelligence told NDTV that Tel Aviv would welcome a “Modi miracle”. “Hamas is not willing to do any negotiation... any peace. Hamas is a terror organisation (like ISIS)... they are killing women, children in a very cold way. If Modi can make this miracle (happen)...” Major General Amos Yadlin (retd), said.

Palestine Ambassador to India Abu Alhaija told NDTV that India was a friend to both Israel and Palestine and must step in to resolve the crisis in Gaza.

The ambassador is an appointee of the Palestine Authority government led by President Mahmoud Abbas. It governs the West Bank area of Palestine while the Gaza Strip is under the control of Hamas.

“Our president is in touch with several European countries to help negotiate,” Alhaija told NDTV, adding, “India is a friend to both. We want India to intervene and help us negotiate.”

China

China’s response to the Hamas assault was fairly muted. Stopping short of condemning the Palestinian militant group, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson called for de-escalation and for Israel and Palestine to pursue a “two-state solution” for an independent Palestine.

However, Chinese president Xi Jinping has been mum on the conflict.

In March, China announced a surprise deal restoring ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran this year, signalling Beijing's desire to be a diplomatic heavyweight in West Asia. Back then Chinese media hailed Beijing's rising profile in a region long dominated by Washington. Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, said the country would continue to play a constructive role in handling global “hotspot issues”, according to a Reuters report.

But the ongoing conflict threatens to expose the limits of that ambition.

“Certainly it does poke a hole in the type of propaganda ... of China being this kind of massive player in the Middle East, Bill Figueroa, an expert on China-West Asia relations was quoted as saying by Reuters.

However, China’s West Asia envoy has said that Bejing was willing to coordinate with Egypt to reach an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing conflict, reports South China Morning Post.

Zhai Jun spoke to Osama Khedr, the assistant minister of the Palestine department in Egypt’s foreign ministry, in a phone call on Tuesday. “China is willing to maintain communication and coordination with Egypt, and to promote an immediate ceasefire and cessation of violence between the conflicting parties,” Zhai said.

Egypt

Egypt has been a regular negotiator between Israel and Palestine, having brokered ceasefires during several conflicts over the past 15 years. The latest instance was in May 2023 after the clashes between the militant group Islamic Jihad and Israel.

Egypt president Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said that the ongoing conflict in Gaza “is very serious,” warning of repercussions on the region’s “security and stability.” Sissi, whose government maintains ties with Israel and Hamas, said that Cairo has intensified its efforts to reach a ceasefire in the ongoing war, according to the state-run MENA news agency.

“We are communicating with all international and regional parties in order to reach an immediate cessation of violence and achieve de-escalation,” he is quoted as saying on Tuesday.

Israel-Palestine conflict explained:

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Qatar

The Gulf nation has also played the role of mediator between Israel and Palestine.

A Reuters report on Monday said that Qatari mediators held urgent calls to negotiate freedom for Israeli women and children seized by Hamas in exchange for the release of 36 Palestinian women and children from Israel's prisons.

Qatar's foreign ministry confirmed to Reuters its involvement in mediation talks with Hamas and Israeli officials, including over a possible prisoner swap.

However, an Israel official told the news agency that there are no negotiations underway.

So far, there are no signs of a breakthrough.

Turkey

After the attacks, Turkey said it was willing to play mediator. On Tuesday, it renewed its offer to mediate and soothe tensions between Israel and the Palestinians.

In separate phone calls, Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed its possible mediation efforts and steps to prevent increasing the tensions in the conflict with UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres Guterres and Russian president Vladimir Putin, according to statements by the Turkish presidency.

According to Professor Mahjoob Zweiri, director of the Gulf Studies Center at Qatar University, If peace talks are to start Turkey and Qatar will both have an active role. “I’m assuming this because they both have communications with Hamas and Israel, and we have to look at who is capable of being able to talk to both sides,” he told Al-Jazeera.

Russia

Russian president Vladimir Putin used the opportunity to hit out at the United States, saying the violence showed that Washington’s policy in West Asia had failed.

Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said the Kremlin was in touch with both warring sides and would seek to play a role in resolving the conflict, but did not specify how. Peskov warned that the conflict risked spilling over into other regions, reports Reuters.

United Nations

UN has been working on meditation efforts for weeks before the latest flare-up. It has engaged in diplomacy to prevent new armed confrontations between Israel and Palestine, reports Al Jazeera.

UN West Asia peace envoy Tor Wennesland met Hamas officials in Gaza and posted on X, “The United Nations is talking to and working with all concerned to improve the lives of people in Gaza, particularly the most vulnerable.”

With inputs from agencies