Palestinian VP: Only US can end Gaza war by pressuring Israel for peace

Hussein Al-Sheikh, the Vice President of Palestine, has called for US intervention to bring an end to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. 

Sheikh asserted that the United States is the only nation capable of compelling Israel to cease military operations in the region, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

“The United States is the only country capable of forcing Israel to end the war in the Gaza Strip,” he stated, stressing the importance of a broader solution to the conflict. 

He also expressed hope that Hamas, the militant Palestinian group, would take steps to facilitate peace. "Hamas must change its policies to become part of our political system,” he said, acknowledging the group's deep-rooted connection to the Palestinian people. "It cannot be excluded from political life."

Sheikh’s remarks also highlighted the Palestinian National Authority’s (PNA) ongoing dialogue with Hamas, and he emphasized the importance of peaceful resistance over armed struggle in the pursuit of Palestinian statehood. "The best way to establish a Palestinian state now is through peaceful resistance against Israel, not through armed struggle,” he said.

"We are negotiating with Israel to achieve our rights and establish our own state. Our priority is to ensure the security of the Palestinian people in their land." He added that the PNA would not accept any alternative to its rule in Gaza.

As of March 2, 2025, all humanitarian aid to Gaza has been halted, with Israeli authorities closing the region's crossings. Military operations resumed on March 18, with the Israeli army launching extensive airstrikes in the enclave.

However, there has been a glimmer of hope for a potential ceasefire. In a recent statement, Hamas confirmed that Eden Alexander, the last surviving American hostage held in Gaza, would be released as part of efforts to negotiate a ceasefire and resume humanitarian aid to the region. Though no specific date for Alexander's release was provided.

Alexander, who holds dual US and Israeli citizenship, was captured during a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, an assault that marked the beginning of the current conflict. The leader of Hamas in Gaza, Khalil al-Haya, revealed that the group has been in contact with US officials in recent days, signalling a willingness to engage in intensive negotiations for a long-term ceasefire. “Hamas is ready to immediately begin intensive negotiations” aimed at ending the war, securing an exchange of prisoners, and transferring power in Gaza to an independent team of technocrats, al-Haya said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev