interview

The agreement on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is only a first step in a long process, says peace researcher Baumgart-Ochse. It's remarkable what the US can achieve when it uses its power in a targeted manner.

tagesschau24: There are dramatic experiences of violence on both sides after a good two years of war. How can peace even be achieved here?

Claudia Baumgart-Ochse: This will be a very long process. Both sides have experienced traumatic violence. The Israelis on October 7, 2023, during the brutal attack on Israel by the terrorist organization Hamas and other organizations.

On the other hand, there are the people of the Gaza Strip, who have suffered through two years of war. The Gaza Strip is effectively in ruins. All of these are experiences that are very difficult to overcome.

To person

Dr. Claudia Baumgart-Ochse works at the Leibniz Institute for Peace and Conflict Research and heads the Transnational Politics program area. She is the editor-in-chief of the annual Peace Report. Her research focuses on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, among other topics.

"Many unanswered questions"

tagesschau24: The US, Israel, and other politicians are celebrating the agreement as a breakthrough. How do you assess this? Where do you see the remaining problems?

Baumgart-Ochse: This is truly just a beginning, a first breakthrough. Precisely because the hostages still trapped in the Gaza Strip are being released, and because the violence and war are ending, offering the opportunity to finally bring humanitarian aid back to the Gaza Strip and to take further steps.

But, of course, there are still problems. How Hamas is to be disarmed remains an open question. Or the question of exactly where the Israeli army will withdraw. As of now, this is only supposed to happen from about half of the Gaza Strip.

Many unanswered questions remain: How will the Gaza Strip be governed in the future? What role could the Palestinian Authority play? How can international donor countries help ensure security?

Research speaks of a"negative peace"

tagesschau24: The relationship between the negotiating partners is characterized by massive mutual distrust. There have been repeated breaches of trust in the past. How close can we possibly come to peace?

Baumgart-Ochse: In peace and conflict research, we would call what is happening now a"negative peace." The conflict is no longer resolved with violence, but through other means.

For a positive, meaningful peace, it would be necessary for people to have a decent living and political rights. Their human rights must also be protected, and political participation must be possible. Especially on the Palestinian side, there's a tremendous amount of room for improvement on this issue. Then there's the question of whether two states can exist side by side. What would happen to the Jewish settlements then? That's a project for years or decades.

"A smart move"

tagesschau24: Just a few days ago, peace in the region was unimaginable. If we trace the path to it, was it primarily pressure from the US that had an impact?

Baumgart-Ochse: Absolutely. I think this is a very good example of how much power the US actually has when it uses it wisely and at the right time. They've proven that in this case.

One must also pay respect to Trump in this regard. On the one hand, he exerted pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and on the other, he also spoke with the Arab states, for example, at the UN General Assembly in New York. They, in turn, clearly influenced Hamas.

It was a smart move to involve the regional players. The US, if it wants to, can really achieve a lot.

Sustainable perspective

tagesschau24: You lead the editorial team for the annual peace report and provide concrete advice to policymakers. What needs to happen to transform this fragile peace framework into a solid peace?

Baumgart-Ochse: The main thing now is to provide humanitarian emergency aid to the people of Gaza and to make the necessary funds available. I think it's great to support this, as Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has also suggested.

In addition, at some point we will need to strengthen the Palestinian Authority and enable it to assume governmental responsibility and to be a long-term partner for peace.

tagesschau24: Finally, let's look at Europe. What can be derived from this potential peace process for Ukraine?

Baumgart-Ochse: Ukraine is a very different case. Russia invaded Ukraine without prior provocation, with very clear imperial expansionist intentions, while in Israel, the war followed as a reaction to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

Nevertheless, what we can take away from this is that cleverly used diplomacy really does make sense. To put it bluntly: talking always helps.