Tamer Qarmout, Assistant Professor in Public Policy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, says that discussions around extending the truce between Israel and Hamas lack a parallel political track on the future of Gaza, Al Jazeera reports.

“When we say the Israelis want to extend the truce, at the same time have these conflicting goals of toppling Hamas’s rule. Hamas will be nervous so it will also try to hold its ground,” Qarmout told the news outlet.

“So, the discussion is missing the elephant in the room, which is what comes next because the political track for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is that it has to be discussed now.”

Qarmout also explained that the Palestinian governance spilt must also be addressed as the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah is “very nervous” and does not want to take over Gaza while Hamas is still there.