If the only agreement acceptable to Hamas is the defeat of the Jewish state – Israel.net

Tuesday morning Hamas member Sami Abu Zuhri said the group rejects the new proposed agreement for the release of the hostages because it “ignores our demands and does not include a complete retreat and a total ceasefire.” (From: YnetNews, 9.4.24)

Ruthie Blum writes: Let’s recap. Israel agreed in November to a pause in the war and the release of three Palestinian terrorists for every hostage released from Gaza. The exchange, brokered by Qatar and Egypt, took place over the course of a week. It would have continued if Hamas had not violated the agreement by refusing to provide the required list of women and children remaining in captivity and had not bombed Israel with new rocket fire. In response, the Israel Defense Forces resumed fighting on December 1.

Less than three weeks later, Israel offered another week’s pause in fighting and the entry of additional humanitarian aid into Gaza in exchange for 40 hostages, including all women, children and elderly men in need of urgent care. medical. Hamas rejected the offer.

Hamas also rejected Israel’s proposal in late January for a two-month pause in fighting, with the release of a significant number of Palestinian terrorists and the transfer of Yahya Sinwar and other Hamas leaders abroad in exchange for the rest of the hostages.

Then came February, when US President Joe Biden told reporters that a “ceasefire” agreement was a matter of days. But Hamas was not of the same opinion.

Towards the end of March, Israel accepted the idea of ​​suspending Defense Force operations for six weeks and releasing around 700 Palestinian prisoners, many of them convicted of blood crimes, in exchange for 40 hostages. Hamas also rejected this proposal, exactly the day after the United States had allowed the Security Council to approve resolution 2728 (which does not condition the ceasefire on the release of the hostages), greeted enthusiastically by Hamas.

And here we come to April, with another attempt underway in Cairo to reach an agreement for the release of the hostages, while Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh reiterates his absurd conditions: permanent ceasefire, global and complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, return of all displaced people to their homes without restrictions, entry of all necessary aid with abolition of the “blockade” on the strip, i.e. without anti-terrorism checks at border crossings, reconstruction, release of Palestinian prisoners.

If the only deal acceptable to Hamas is the defeat of the Jewish state, we can only wish the mediators good luck.

(From: jns.org, 7.4.24)

Yahya Sinwar on a bus to Gaza in 2011 after his release from Israel as part of the blackmail for the release of hostage Gilad Shalit

It is perfectly understandable that the families of the hostages are asking the Israeli government to accept a deal for their release “at any price”. Anyone in their place would do it.

But the Israeli government, in addition to the imperative to bring the hostages home, must necessarily take into account other crucial factors for the entire population and for the defense of the country.

First of all, the precedents: it is enough to remember the blackmail for the release of the hostage Gilat Shalit, held in Gaza by Hamas for more than five years. He was released in 2011 in exchange for the release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, including many of those – starting with Yahya Sinwar himself – who then plotted and perpetrated the carnage of October 7, also encouraged by the successful blackmail of twelve years earlier.

Giving in “at any price” (and without having completely eradicated Hamas) means the certainty that another 7 October will be repeated in the future.

All the more so since Hamas would boast of this “success” and would see its consensus and followers grow enormously (to the detriment of the moderate voices in the Palestinian field, already very small and isolated today).
(From: israele.net, 9.4.24)

9 April 2024
Actuality