The most recent violation of the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza casts doubt on the Egyptian effort to bring the sides to some sort of “resolution,” a euphemism for an “agreement.” The failure of the Egyptian initiative thus far stems, to a great extent if not solely, from the refusal of both sides to accept two strategic decisions.

Hamas and the organizations opposed to Fatah have avoided accepting rule by the Palestinian Authority (PA), led by President Mahmoud Abbas, and the reconciliation government over the Gaza Strip. They find it difficult to commit themselves to cooperation with the PA's security apparatus in the West Bank, adopt the practices of the security apparatus and obey the orders of its commanders. Meanwhile, the Israeli side persists in adhering to the illusion that its unilateral disengagement from Gaza effected a separation of the territory, with its 1.8 million residents, from the Palestinian problem and its solution.

Al-Monitor learned Aug. 20 that a few hours after talks in Cairo broke down, Palestinian delegation chief Azzam al-Ahmad said that Israel's insistence on demilitarizing Gaza was the reason behind the failure of the negotiations. The demand that Hamas relinquish its weapons might be a legitimate condition in the negotiations, but Israel must recognize that those who demand that the Palestinians honor the security clause of the Oslo Accord must for their part honor the clause in the same agreement, according to which the West Bank and Gaza are one political unit. In other words, Israel must unilaterally disengage from its so-called policy of separation, which was put in place under the Ehud Olmert government and whose failure has been proven during Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman has drawn a connection between Hamas rule in Gaza and territorial continuity between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In a speech he gave in March 2012, Liberman said, “As long as Hamas governs the Gaza Strip, there is no chance that we would agree to a secure corridor, insecure corridor, above ground corridor, underground corridor, or any kind of corridor.” The foreign minister asserted then that the continuing fire from Gaza “buries any possibility that at one point there will be territorial continuity between Gaza and Judea and Samaria.” In his words, “The Palestinians decreed separation upon themselves, and right now it looks like it will last for generations.” Thus, if the agreement with Hamas were to transfer control of Gaza to the PA and establish a lasting cease-fire, Israel would not have cause to maintain the policy of siege and separation.