The original goal of Operation Protective Edge had been to destroy Hamas. That is now off the table, to the detriment of all free people. “Hamas victory celebrations should not be easily dismissed,” by David Horovitz, Times of Israel, August 26, 2014:
The ostensible end of Israel-Hamas hostilities took effect at 7 p.m. Israel time Tuesday, on the 50th day of Operation Protective Edge, amid a major barrage of rocket fire. An Israeli was killed and two others were badly injured (one of whom later died) shortly before the truce began, and the alarms continued to sound down south for a good few minutes after 7 p.m., even as Hamas supporters were celebrating “victory” on the streets of Gaza. Not an auspicious start.
Hamas has breached truce agreement after truce agreement in the past 50 days, and there is no compelling reason to assume that this case will be any different. Unnamed sources in the Palestinian negotiating delegation — a curious forum comprising rival factions including Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad — claimed Tuesday night that Hamas’s leadership in Gaza insisted on accepting the same unconditional Egyptian terms that it rejected more than a month ago, and sidelined the Qatar-based Khaled Mashaal, who had previously rejected such terms. Some say that the sight of the Israeli Air Force moving to smash the apartment buildings in which Israel claims it had some of its command centers finally prompted Hamas in Gaza to call a halt. Time will tell if a terror government’s solemn assurance that it has silenced its guns has any credibility.
Entirely predictably, Hamas immediately busied itself extricating what it called success from amid the devastation it has brought down upon Gaza these past seven weeks. It fired over 4,500 rockets at Israel. It killed 64 soldiers and five civilians. It prompted several dozen airlines to shun Israel for two days last month. It terrorized southern Israel, especially in more recent weeks, when it stepped up its mortar fire and rocket barrages on the south. It killed four-year-old Daniel Tragerman inside his own home on Kibbutz Nahal Oz. For an organization committed to the destruction of Israel, these are achievements to celebrate.
By emplacing its war machine in the very heart of Gaza, it also condemned hundreds of thousands of people — the Gazans in whose interests it falsely claims to have fought — to homelessness, dire poverty, and the bleakest of futures. But for Hamas, these too are achievements. Extremism flourishes amid bitterness. Islamic radicals find willing recruits where hope of a better future is in short supply. Thus Hamas expects to profit, too, from the destruction wrought as Israel targeted all those rocket launchers and terror tunnel entrances sited in the homes, mosques and schools of the Gaza Strip. And it can also celebrate the staining of Israel’s reputation in those wide international circles where the evil, cynical nature of Hamas’s war strategy is misunderstood or ignored.
The final word on this conflict, however, is still far from being written. If this round is over, then the focus now shifts to the specifics of the long-term ceasefire arrangements, as military action gives way to diplomacy.
And if, under a long-term deal, Hamas is able to replicate Hezbollah’s strategy in Lebanon — to retain full or significant control of Gaza, to re-arm, to build a still more potent killing mechanism — then its claims of victory, appallingly, will be justified.
Only if a long-term mechanism can be fashioned that denies Hamas the capacity to fight and kill another day will the Israeli leadership be justified in asserting that its goal — ensuring sustained calm and security for the people of Israel — has been met.
The early word is that Israel has made no commitment to meeting any of the central, long-standing Hamas demands — for a lifting of the security blockade, and for the opening of a seaport and an airport. These are concessions that, if agreed in the absence of an effective supervisory mechanism, would give Hamas the ready means to strengthen itself militarily. But it is extremely hard to imagine how such an effective supervisory mechanism could be constructed. And one can only wonder whether Hamas, if it is denied concessions on those issues in the coming weeks of negotiations, will refrain from renewing the conflict.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s popularity has nosedived in recent weeks as the war has continued, as the rockets have pounded on, and as residents of the south have learned to their bloody cost that the political and military leadership were wrong in assuring them three weeks ago that it was safe for them to return to their homes. Support for Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict will rise again if time, and the long-term ceasefire terms, prove that Hamas has been marginalized and de-fanged. Many Israelis, indeed, will come to hail him for not having ordered a far more extensive ground offensive into the treacherous heart of Gaza, where Hamas lay in wait, with the consequent likely loss of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of soldiers’ lives.
But if Hamas is not marginalized, if it proves capable of rebuilding its tunnels, restocking its rocket arsenals, and plotting new strategies toward its goal of Israel’s annihilation, the Israeli strategy for handling this conflict will have been a failure, and the popularity of the prime minister will be far from the most central of Israel’s concerns.
EYESOPEN says
This article is spot-on. And yes, unfortunately, if Hamas and its supporters see this as a “victory” (As Saddam did when he got his butt kicked in the first Gulf War), this “truce” is off to an auspicious start indeed. (And there is no telling when Hamas will decide to break yet ANOTHER cease fire.)
All I can do is pray that Almighty God keeps Israel strong and safe. Bibi Netanyahu is by far one of the best statesman Israel – or the world – has ever seen. I would hate to see yet more muzlim treachery responsible for the people of Israel losing confidence in him.
john spielman says
I’m sure 1)Israel has its finger on the trigger ready to respond quickly to any cease fire violation and 2) hamass will start firing rockets again in the near future!
duh_swami says
No hudna lasts forever. There is never going to be peace there and everyone who reads JW knows why. Even if Israel completely eliminates Hamas, another Hamas will rise out of the rubble. Islam is every kuffar’s enemy, and it is bigger than Hamas, ISIS or any of them. As long as the dhimmi west keeps protecting Islam, the problems will get worse, not better.
pongidae rex says
At some point, one group or the other is going to have to eradicate the other. These genocides have happened often in human history and are largely how Islam spread. The magical thinking of multiculturalism has people in the West believing that humanity has somehow suddenly, miraculously changed. It has not. HAMAS understands this. Israel, and the West, are still living a fantasy.
Angela says
It’s so sad to see so few comments on this article. This tells me that most Americans are either unaware of what’s going on or just don’t care! Unfortunately, these are the same people electing our leaders which is pretty damn scary in itself! We’re sitting ducks for these evil bastards! Is it gonna take another horrible massacre on our own soil for our leader to take a stand and level these people? We have Hamas, Jihad, iSIS all wanting to kill us in the name of “god or Allah”. I don’t take this lightly nor do I believe we’re worshiping the same God! Am I the only one who thinks our actions as the most powerful nation in the world are futile at best?!!! Come on mr president! Man up and protect this country!
Bezelel says
Futile efforts depends on who’s side your on. I am far from convinced that our leadership is on our team. Did he not say that he would side with islam?
http://obamavoterfraud.blogspot.com/ You are not the only one asking WTF?
WVinMN says
“Come on mr president! Man up and protect this country!”
“mr president” IS the enemy!
agentanderson00001 says
It’s so great when they make those peace signs!!!!!!
/leftysarc-off
Kristian says
The IDF should have been ordered by the Israeli government to invade Gaza and utterly destroy Hamas. Period. In my view you can not deploy thousands of troops alongside the Gaza border and not order them into action for fear of casualties among the soldiers while your citizens in the border communities are being killed and have their properties destroyed. That’s totally irresponsible and this government shoud be held accountable for it.
David says
We all know the endless cycle that will come next. Hamas will re-group & re-arm, then start firing rockets & building tunnels into Israel. It will provoke Israel until Israel gets mad, & comes down on them like a ton of bricks. Rinse & repeat.
Burt says
These staged ‘celebrations’ of a truce indicate that Hamas don’t intend breaking it as usual. Got me thinking they’re just running out of rockets.
Tommy Guns says
Isn’t it curious how muslims claim ‘victory’ when they’ve just had their asses handed to them??? What’s with that??? Is their definition of ‘victory’ different than ours? Do they call it a victory when they narrowly miss being annihilated?? Maybe they call it a victory to still be alive. Very odd people.
Walter Sieruk says
The heads of the State of Israel would be wise not to trust or take face value any promise in the claim of the lying and disingenuous Hamas chiefs might say about really “wanting peace.” As the Bible reads in Psalm 55:20,21. “Such men do violence to those at peace with them and break their promised word: Their speech is smoother then butter but their thoughts are of war.” [N.E.B.]
Demsci says
Hamas wants to destroy Israel and is hopeless. But it’s popularity in Gaza is waning, I hear, due to it provoking such a devastating and hopeless war which even according to many Muslims it lost!
And Hamas was in big problems financially and isolated because the Egyptian government is also against it and closed many tunnels between Egypt and Gaza, which costs Hamas a lot of money, because of declining tax-income.
What if another group, like the PA, somehow get’s hold of Gaza? From the bible I remember that Gaza was the original territory of the Philistines. From whom the name Palestine derives. So Gaza is a good place to start a real independent Palestinian state.
And Gaza, if peaceful and non-threathening has a lot of potential on it’s own. There may even be gasfields in the mediterranean to exploit for them! Next to gasfields of Israel and perhaps some of Egypt in future).
And unlike the West Bank, it really is totally un-occupied by Israel (Israel is only blockading it and holding border territory).
So the Gazans, if given the chance, should really choose peaceful coexistence with Israel. And if Gazans behave trustworthy in time Israel and Egypt will ease their blockade and allow a port and an airport.
But because of Islam, and perhaps there is a far too high percentage of young men in the Gaza population I suppose that the Gazans, for decades, will continue to foolishly and futile-ly choose a war of attrition with Israel. But democratic, prosperous Israel will very probably simply outperform and outlive them in that case.
Buraq says
In a friendly match against the chess Grandmaster Gelfand a few years ago, Netanyahu managed to get a draw.
So, thinking like a chess strategist, when faced by threats from Iran, Hamas and various pieces of jihadi detritus washing against the border of Israel, he needs to neutralize the threats one by one, while maintaining an attacking tempo!
So, it’s Hamas first (a win via Zugzwang), Iran will come soon, and then he’ll finish with a flourish against the jihadi detritus swirling around the border.
Incidentally, they should really make Netanyahu King of Israel. Then he could be affectionately called Bibi King!
Will Doohan says
Hahahahaha! Bibi King! Thanks for the laugh, Buraq!
David says
Reason to go into Gaza was to destroy the tunnel network and find the tunnels. Regarding Hamas, the Hamas members are scum. But is there a better alternative in Gaza. I doubt it. It’s like getting rid of Saddam Hussein or Qadaffi. The next clown is just as likely to be worse. I think the problem Israel had is what do they bomb next. They were running out of targets since the media cries every time they bomb a supposed UNWRA facility.
An airport will allow them to smuggle weapons but it can also be bombed and even destroyed by Israeli mortar fire.
britjew says
in previous receent conflicts i have been critical of israel.
This time i have felt increasingly marginalised. As Qatar and Turkey have been allowed to call the shots.
UK media has relentlessly criticised Israel, criticism of Qatar and Turkey has been censored. When Kurds confiscated ISIS flag they were arrested.
The police stood by while Antisemitism has been ramped up across europe.
This now seems to me just one battle against the Sunni muslim war for global domination, until Jews Christians and others wake up things will get worse.
With Rotherham,Bradford,Tower Hamlets,Luton,Malmo and other areas under Jihadi control there can be no peace until either they win or we get off our knees.
Israel cannot give in to the “Palestinian” trojan horse or we all perish.
David says
There was no point in continuing the war. The Israelis ran out of targets to bomb. Look at the Hamas commanders killed. The tunnel network of 40 tunnels into Israel was destroyed. If the Israelis need to, they could demolish the strip by artillery fire.