The grand prospect of peace in Gaza now hangs on the successful resolution of mundane but critical details. As US Secretary of State Marco Rubio put it, negotiators are “just sort of finalising the logistical piece” of a deal that is otherwise almost complete.
After two years of war, the high-level political battles appear to be over. Hamas has provisionally accepted a US-led framework, and Israel is reportedly on board. The conflict has moved from the battlefield to the spreadsheet, where timelines, routes, and verification methods are being decided.
These logistics, while seemingly minor, are everything. The agreement to exchange hostages for an Israeli pullback to the “yellow line” is meaningless without a flawless plan for execution. A single error could reignite the conflict.
This final phase is the ultimate test of commitment. It is easy to agree to peace “in principle”; it is much harder to agree on the specific, practical steps required to achieve it. This is why Rubio stated the US would know “very quickly” if Hamas is serious.
While the world focuses on the dramatic statements of leaders like President Trump, the real work of peace is being done in these quiet, technical talks. The fate of millions now depends on the careful, precise work of a few logistical experts.