International Law and Palestinian Rights: The Sticking Points in the Gaza Deal

While Hamas has agreed to end the war, its statement on Saturday has already highlighted the major sticking points that will dominate future negotiations: international law and the “legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.” These unresolved issues are the primary hurdles to a comprehensive and lasting peace.
In its acceptance of the Trump plan, Hamas was careful to separate the immediate de-escalation measures from the final political settlement. The group stated that issues related to the future of Gaza and Palestinian rights are “connected to… relevant international laws and resolutions.”
This language is significant. It signals that in any future talks, Hamas will anchor its position in decades of UN resolutions, including those calling for an end to the occupation, the right of return for refugees, and the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
These are the very issues that have derailed countless previous peace efforts. While the Trump plan has successfully addressed the immediate crisis, it has not, as yet, provided a new framework for resolving these fundamental disagreements. Hamas’s statement makes it clear that they have not abandoned these core demands.
The road ahead will require navigating these complex legal and political claims. The success of the current ceasefire will provide the space for this dialogue, but without a new approach to these long-standing sticking points, the cycle of conflict is likely to continue, even if the current war has ended.