Hamas during a prisoner exchange. Fox News/Getty.
Hamas has again rejected a cease fire proposal in Gaza. Fox News. The deal would have had Israel allow humanitarian aid and 45 day cease fire in exchange for 11 hostages and Hamas disarming their weapons. However, Hamas said that disarmament was a red line for them and would not agree to any deal with it as a condition. 24 living hostages are thought to remain alive in Gaza, though there are unconfirmed reports than one of them is now missing. Several bodies remain in the control of Hamas as well. Israel has stepped up attacks in Gaza after a previous cease fire deal fell apart.
My Comment:
I'm of two minds of this. I think the situation in Gaza is bad enough that Hamas should take basically any deal that the Israelis are willing to offer them. They have lost the war, for sure, and all their continued fighting is accomplishing is more death and destruction.
On the other hand, I don't think this was a serious offer. It would make little sense for Hamas to lay down their arms without a full peace deal for reasons that should be obvious. I have ideological objections to people giving up arms in the first place, but I can't see Hamas actually giving up weapons under any circumstances, short of a total peace deal, which isn't likely to happen.
It does make me wonder why Israel put that into their deal. I am guessing they wanted this particular offer to be rejected, probably because they are under pressure, from both President Trump and the international community, to actually end the war. If they put up a deal that looks reasonable on it's face, and this one was, it's on Hamas when they reject it.
I do think that this will increase the pressure on Hamas to actually make a deal though. They can't just keep rejecting everything the Israelis do, at some point they either have to face destruction or capitulation.
Keep in mind that Israel has effectively blockaded the Gaza Strip, to the point where very little aid is getting in. Hamas is running out of supplies and food, an may already be out of fuel. There are signs that the folks in Gaza are also getting sick of Hamas and their failure to come to a deal. There had been some public protests and if folks can't feed themselves anymore then they will start to put pressure on Hamas to quit the war.
I still have zero sympathy for Hamas. They started a brutal war they couldn't win and they have continued it well beyond the point where any sane person would have ended it. They are also radical Muslims and I consider them to be enemies of far more than just Israel. The only way they could even attempt to redeem themselves is to end the war...
Will that happen anytime soon? I guess it's possible. Supposedly Hamas is readying a counter offer which has a possibility of working. But my guess is much like how NATO views Ukraine, Hamas is willing to "defend" Gaza to the last man there, no matter what the folks in Gaza think. My hope is that the people of Gaza will finally say enough is enough and get rid of Hamas themselves...
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