Strategic goals collapsed and the Palestinians found themselves in a "political Bermuda Triangle."

Jackie Hoji

The prolonged armed struggle has yielded no results, negotiations have failed time and again, and diplomacy has remained impotent. Meanwhile, the Arab world has shifted to a new agenda, while Israel continues to consolidate its de facto control over the West Bank and advances a plan to transfer Gaza's residents without paying a political price.
There are moments when an entire history shrinks into a single sense of powerlessness—and that is the state of the Palestinians today. The summits held by US President Donald Trump with the rulers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE seem like the pinnacle of a new era: hundreds of billions of dollars have been invested in arms deals, infrastructure, and economic agreements.
Trump continues to play a pivotal role in shaping a "new American Middle East," aimed at displacing China and curbing Iranian influence. But amid these massive investments and a new vision for the region, one issue remains unaddressed: not even a preliminary plan to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza has been reconsidered.
The Arab Summit, which began yesterday (Saturday) in Baghdad, like its predecessors over the past two decades, is a continuation of the tradition of empty slogans and phrases that have not translated into action. Representatives of Arab countries are not offering effective pressure mechanisms, nor are they considering taking practical steps towards Israel, while the Palestinian issue—which was ostensibly at the heart of Arab political existence—is pushed to the margins and hidden behind useless rhetoric.
In the current scenario, three strategic failures stand out; the three pillars on which Palestinian hopes were based have collapsed:
1. Armed struggle, described in religious and political discourse as "jihad for the sake of God," and in the Israeli narrative as "terrorism," has lost both its regional and international legitimacy. Resistance factions have not achieved political gains or strengthened popular support, but have instead led to further destruction and suffering for Palestinians.
2. The course of negotiations, from the Oslo Accords, through the Camp David talks and the Taba Conference, to the proposals of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, has not led to any tangible progress. Every time the hope of establishing a Palestinian state has come closer, an internal or external collapse has shattered it.
3. The international pillar—represented by UN resolutions, the Hague Court, diplomatic pressure from Europe, and humanitarian channels and human rights organizations—has eroded amid global polarization, regional interests, and new priorities. The "pursuit of justice" has become nothing more than an empty solidarity theater, with Palestinians standing alone on the stage.
Even within Israel, despite some efforts by activists, intellectuals, and a few left-wing politicians, there is currently no real proposal for an alternative solution. The Israeli leadership is entrenching the status quo, benefiting from regional complicity, and seeing no need for a permanent solution. The occupation has become transparent and has ceased to evoke a sense of urgency or presence in public discourse.
The current picture shows the Palestinians stuck in a "political Bermuda Triangle": armed struggle has been ineffective, negotiations have failed, and diplomacy is toothless. Every avenue through which a different future could have been charted has been closed.
The Arab world has changed, the international community is preoccupied with itself, and Israel continues to consolidate its de facto control and apartheid regime in the West Bank, advancing a deportation plan in Gaza without any political price or real threat that could change its course.
The Palestinians' sense of helplessness is not new, but this time it is no longer temporary; it has become part of the reality itself. As with every profound crisis, the current situation may produce an awakening whose scope and repercussions are unpredictable. However, today, the Palestinian people are witnessing the collapse of their strategic goals, in the absence of vision and support, and are left with one resonating question: Where do we go from here?

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The current picture shows the Palestinians stuck in a "political Bermuda Triangle": armed struggle has been ineffective, negotiations have failed, and diplomacy is toothless. Every avenue through which a different future could have been charted has been closed.