Israel-Gaza war: Which international actors can play peacemaker?

The United Nations Secretary-General expressed deep distress over Israel's imposition of a complete siege on the Gaza Strip, marking the fourth day of a deadly assault.

In the meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the bombardment had just begun following an unprecedented Hamas attack on Saturday, which resulted in the deaths of at least 900 Israelis.

While a number of Western nations have refrained from urging Israel to scale back its intense military response, over 700 Palestinians have lost their lives in three days of relentless bombing. The 2.4 million Palestinians residing in Gaza have no safe haven due to the Israeli land, sea, and air blockade.

The question arises: can the international community intervene to prevent Israel from imposing collective punishment on the people of Gaza?

Professor Mahjoob Zweiri, Director of the Gulf Studies Center at Qatar University, believes it may be premature to discuss mediation, as Israel is currently reacting with anger and a sense of revenge.

This sets the stage for a closer examination of the countries and international organizations that could potentially act as mediators in this dire situation.

The Arab League

The Arab League's foreign ministers are convening an emergency summit on Wednesday, as requested by the Palestinian delegation. The purpose of this extraordinary session is to discuss Arab initiatives aimed at halting the Israeli aggression in Gaza. 

The potential outcomes of this meeting are currently uncertain. According to Professor Mahjoob Zweiri, the Arab League's ability to have an impact is limited, given the fragmentation of Arab governments and its lack of effective tools.

China

Beijing has voiced profound concern regarding the escalation of the conflict and has urged all parties to maintain calm. There is speculation among observers about whether China might seek to position itself as a regional mediator, building on its successful role in brokering a reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia. 

In April, the former Chinese Foreign Minister, Qin Gang, conveyed to the Israeli and Palestinian foreign ministers that China stood prepared to assist in facilitating peace talks.

China supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on pre-1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as the capital of a sovereign Palestinian state. It has also advocated for international development assistance for Palestinians.

Egypt

Cairo has acted as a mediator between Israel and Palestinian groups in previous conflicts but Zweiri says it will try to distance itself from the escalating situation in Gaza.

"They [Egypt] want to distance themselves from what is happening because … Egypt is going to elections," he said.

Europe

Leaders from numerous European nations, including France and Germany, have strongly condemned the Hamas attacks and expressed their solidarity with Israel.

European Union foreign ministers have planned an extraordinary meeting for Tuesday afternoon to deliberate on the ongoing war.

Initially, the EU responded by announcing the immediate suspension of development aid for Palestinians. However, it later clarified that it would be reviewing this assistance rather than suspending it.

Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albarez said such a move was unacceptable and cooperation must continue.

"We cannot confuse Hamas, which is on the European Union's list of terrorist groups, with the Palestinian population, the Palestinian Authority, or the United Nations organisations present on the ground," he told Spanish radio station Cadena SER on Tuesday morning.

Iran

Iran's possible role in mediation remains unclear.

Its Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei said on Tuesday: "We of course defend Palestinians. We kiss the forehead and arms of the brave fighters and youths of Palestine, yes it's true.

"But those who say non-Palestinians were behind what was done… they do not know Palestinians well. They have underestimated the nation of Palestine. That is their mistake."

Qatar

The Gulf nation is known for its mediation efforts in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and its ongoing assistance to Gaza, which has been under Israeli siege for 16 years.

"Our priorities are to end the bloodshed, release the prisoners and make sure the conflict is contained with no regional spillover," foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told Reuters.

However, an Israeli official told Reuters: "There are no negotiations under way."

Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said creating a Palestinian state was the "most reliable" solution for peace in Israel and that fighting alone would not ensure security.

Turkey

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on both Hamas fighters and Israeli armed forces to stop the violence and offered to mediate.

If peace talks are to start, Zweiri believes Turkey and Qatar will both have an active role.

"I'm assuming this because they both have communications with Hamas and Israel, and we have to look at who is capable of being able to talk to both sides."

UN agencies

As part of earlier mediation efforts, weeks before the Saturday attack, the UN was engaged in diplomacy to try to prevent new armed confrontations between Israel and Hamas.

UN Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland met Hamas officials in Gaza and posted on X: "The United Nations is talking to and working with all concerned to improve the lives of people in Gaza, particularly the most vulnerable."

The United States

Israel's closest ally has promised "rock solid and unwavering" support to Israel and said it would send munitions as it moved its military ships and aircraft closer to it.

Al Jazeera's senior correspondent John Hendren, reporting from Washington, DC, said talks of diplomacy and of a two-state solution are on hold for now.

Washington has said it wants a future Palestinian state, but it has failed to convince Israel, to which it gives $3bn in annual military aid, to honour the agreements it signed with the Palestinians.

Settlement expansion on Palestinian lands and settler violence have increased, particularly under the extreme right-wing government Netanyahu heads.

Zweiri said the US reaction has been shocking. "They [the US] are basically allowing Israel to do what they want in Gaza."