How can we even negotiate this?

The 'parent' isn't stepping in, so let the 'kids' fight it out, right?

It feels like Israel just doesn't want to negotiate from the get-go; every time there's a critical moment, they jump in and stir the pot, acting like they'd take a big hit if a ceasefire happens. If they weren't constantly meddling and fanning the flames, maybe the ceasefire wouldn't have taken this long.