As the war on Gaza reaches its third month without Israel accomplishing its publicly stated goals, the discussion has begun to shift to finding an acceptable formula for what happens when the war ends.

Israel’s two publicly stated goals were: crushing Hamas and securing the safe return of the hostages. Clearly, Hamas has not been defeated as Israelis in Tel Aviv and other cities trying to celebrate New Year’s Eve were hit with a barrage of Hamas rockets at the stroke of midnight, some coming from northern Gaza, an area that the Israeli army has repeatedly claimed that it controls. (The Iron Dome intercepted most of the missiles, and there were no casualties.)

The other goal was partially accomplished but only as part of several prisoner exchanges with Hamas. Israeli civilians were exchanged with Palestinian women and youth in Israeli prisons, most of them held administratively without charges or trial under Israeli laws that date back to British Mandate regulations in 1945. Hamas agreed to release the civilian prisoners at a ratio of one Israeli to three Palestinians.

However, the exchanges have stopped as Hamas, negotiating through Egypt and Qatar mediators, seeks a full cease-fire and an end to the Israeli occupation of Gaza. Hamas is suggesting a formula of all versus all, meaning all Israelis held by Hamas (including civilians, soldiers, officers, and bodies of Israelis) in return for all Palestinians held by Israel, including the more than 4,600 detained without trial since October 7 and the bodies of Palestinians that the Israelis have been holding for some time. The Hamas offer is conditional on an overall deal that includes a full-fledged cease-fire and an end to the occupation because Hamas is concerned that once Israel gets its civilians and soldiers, it will move even more brutally against Gaza in an attempt to accomplish its first........

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