After President Trump, noting that hamas was violating the “ceasefire agreement” with Israel by refusing to dribble out the next few hostages (understandable, in the sense that holding hostages is the one and only area of leverage this terrorist group has), said all hostages should be released or “all hell is going to break loose”…
…Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, after consultation – and agreement – with his Cabinet yesterday, said this:
“The decision I passed in the Cabinet unanimously is this: If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon – the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will resume intense combat until Hamas is decisively defeated. In light of Hamas’ announcement of its decision to violate the agreement and not release our hostages, I instructed the IDF last night to amass forces inside and around the Gaza Strip. This operation is currently underway and will be completed as soon as possible.”
Donald Trump’s take on the situation?
“I have a Saturday deadline and I don’t think they are going to make a deadline. Personally, I think they want to play tough guy, but we’ll see how tough they are.
“I think the reason Hamas is playing so cute is because they probably saw the reaction to these people [hostages] that came out. I think they want time because the [hostages] are in such bad shape because they’re sending the most healthy people out, because they don’t want to send the least healthy people out…
“They either have them out by Saturday at 12 o’clock or all bets are off.”
I’m not sure whether President Trump is correct here. It may be that the remaining hostages are in worse shape than the ones released (which I agree is probably the case). But it may also have to do with how many are even alive at this point.
And here is hamas’ reaction, via the statement to Reuters by a hamas official, sami abu zuhri:
“Trump must remember that there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties and this is the only way to bring back the [Israeli] prisoners. The language of threats has no value and only complicates matters.”
Oooooohhhh. Israel – and the USA, via Trump – threatened to do something about the fact that hamas is still holding hostages it took after attacking Israel, killing 1,200 or more Israelis attending a dance festival (some in the most unspeakable ways imaginable) and then bragging that they would be doing it “again and again”.
The language of threats – and Israel’s reaction to those threats – sure had value then, didn’t it?
Is it possible that Israel – at least according to hamas (a trustworthy enterprise if there ever was one – just ask its leaders), has not 100% fulfilled the conditions for getting back the hostages taken by hamas – i.e. trading them for convicted terrorist? I suppose. Just as I suppose (assume) hamas is re-arming and solidifying its terrorist base. I don’t know and can’t know.
Personally, I’m not sure what I should be rooting for here. Since we don’t know how many hostages, if any, are even alive and we don’t know what condition they are in (though the condition of the most recently released three probably tells us the answer), there is no way to assess what would be lost if Israel attacked.
You won’t find any easy answers here. But there, to the best of our knowledge at present, is the situation as it now stands.
I don’t envy Prime Minister Netanyahu’s situation; the fact that he has to decide Israel’s next move.
What would you do?
