With phase two of ceasefire negotiations under way in Egypt, Israeli columnist Gideon Levy told Al Jazeera the results could rest on whether President Trump is willing to put pressure on Israel to make a deal.
“[If] the Trump administration is harsh enough with Israel, there will be phase two, but if they leave it to the Israelis, there will be no phase two,” Levy said.
In an opinion piece published in the Haaretz newspaper, Levy said that left to its own devices, Israel is determined to resume the war in Gaza and keep waging war in the occupied West Bank.
“Israel alone will bear responsibility for the next war in the West Bank. Don’t say we were caught by surprise; don’t dare say we didn’t know. The writing has been on the wall, spelled out in fire and blood, for 16 months – and no one is stopping it. It’s hardly even being reported,” he said.
