WATCH: Can PH assist in bringing peace between Israel and Palestine?

Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss acknowledges in an exclusive interview with INQUIRER that his country does not have a “partner to negotiate coexistence, recognition, and peace” that would bring an abrupt end to its war with Hamas.

“So, I would say that any Philippine assistance to the process (can come in the form of) messaging the Palestinian side that, maybe, they should move not only their rhetoric but their ideology to an ideology of peace, of coexistence and of building a better future. So, for me, this can be a role for the Philippines … conveying this message to the Palestinians because Israel is certainly for peace and development,” says Fluss.

But he is not eager for the Philippines to take on a more formal role as a peace negotiator. The Philippines has been successful in negotiating separate peace agreements with the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which have resulted in peace in once war-torn Mindanao.

What is the reason for the prolonged war between Israel and Hamas, which is now entering its 10th month? What are the prospects for a ceasefire that will enable the exchange of hostages or prisoners from both sides, with the help of Qatar and the United States as mediators?