By René Wadlow

Close attention needs to be focused on the deadly and destructive conflict in the Gaza Strip and the multi-party negotiations being held in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh. The elite of Middle East diplomacy are in Sharm El-Sheikh these days, including Steve Withoff and Jared Kushner from the USA, the Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Derner, Khalil Al-Hayya, the head of the Hamas negotiation team, and Mohammed Al-Hindi of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad which holds some of the 20 living Israeli hostages.

The exchange of Israeli hostages – 20 living and the bodies of 28 who have died – and some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and army camps is the first order of business. The exchange should take place on Monday, October 13. President Donald Trump should go first to Israel and then Egypt on Monday to start multi-party negotiations with implications for the wider Middle East.

The negotiations are being held against a politically unstable situation in Israel and the USA where in both there are deep divisions among political parties. The armed conflict in the Gaza Strip could start again with “We tried negotiations and they failed” as a battle theme.

As the representatives of UN Consultative Status NGO, we must see how we can build on these advances toward a stable peace. There is much at stake, and we must be ready to take action.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.