Israel insists that the ceasefire is unconditional

The ceasefire brokered by Egypt between Israel and Hamas, which came into effect at 2 am, appears to be holding, and was not preceded by massive rocket fire from the Gaza Strip as was feared. Fires erupted last night at Israeli border settlements. Israel describes the ceasefire as “unconditional” and “reciprocal.” The reason for its approval, as presented to ministers in the security cabinet, was that Israel’s goals had been achieved: Hamas had suffered several severe blows, most of its ability to produce missiles had been destroyed, and most of the tunnels and underground network had been destroyed. Special facilities and weapons such as UAV submarines. According to the military affidavit, half of the stockpiles of terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip were fired or destroyed, and about 150 terrorists were killed, many of them high-ranking in Hamas and Islamic Jihad. On the diplomatic front, Israel enjoyed impressive and perhaps surprising support from many European countries, which prevented the European Union from taking a negative decision from Israel’s point of view. Some countries even sent senior envoys to express their support, which is more than a symbolic gesture. For Americans, the picture is a bit more complicated: statements by the administration support Israel’s right to defend itself against missile attacks, but impatience to see a ceasefire and criticize the killing of children in IDF attacks. Israel asserts that there is no condition for a ceasefire other than exchange, while Hamas spokesmen declare victory over the Jerusalem issue, as if Israel has pledged to avoid entering the Temple Mount and freeze the evacuation of the Arab residents from Sheikh Jarrah. At the Security Council meeting that unanimously approved the ceasefire, the question was raised, “Well, that’s all now, so what next?” There was no clear answer, and ministers were instructed not to conduct interviews or speak to reporters about the meeting. However, according to the information that we received, what was agreed upon was a temporary truce, partly accepted for humanitarian reasons, to give some truce to the residents of the Gaza Strip and to enter vital supplies during this period. The armistice, indirect negotiations will take place, mainly through Egyptian mediation, but with the participation of other parties as well. Among the important conditions set by Israel in the negotiations, which enjoys strong European support, is that there will be no rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip, nor shipments of cement and building materials, while terrorist organizations renew their military capabilities. Also on the table is an Israeli proposal to transfer control of the Gaza Strip to international bodies. The gaps between Israel and Hamas are wide, and it is assumed that the organization will not agree to restrictions on renewing its military capacity and will circumvent any imposed restrictions. Related articles Hamas and Islamic Jihad took a heavy blow. The Ibrahim Accords have held up despite the Gaza conflict, the Iron Dome, which intercepted 90% of Gaza’s rockets. It is also possible that there will be renewed missile launches during the negotiations, and the test for Israel will be how it responds to that and the violations that will occur to any agreement reached. In the end, Hamas is a terrorist organization that seeks to destroy Israel, and only toppling its rule will remove the strategic threat it poses. Posted by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – May 21, 2021 © Copyright Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2021