By Ted Belman
Israel decided that an agreement with Hamas isn’t worth the paper it is written on. So no cease fire is being sought. That means that Israel is ending Operation Preventive Edge. The IDF has already started pulling out and Israel has told Gazans to return to their homes in certain neighborhoods.
It also means that Hamas get nothing for its troubles. That won’t stop them from claiming they won because Israel backed away. Hamas and Gaza have suffered great destruction and many deaths and received nothing in return.
Israel gets its quiet for quiet but not before destroying the tunnels. Their decision may have been based in part in the US agreeing to resupply Iron Dome. Thus Israel can continue to shoot down missiles and can use artillery to hit back at launching pads.
20:35
‘If Hamas continues fire, operation in Gaza will continue,’ Livni says
“We’ll operate according to our security needs,” she says.
Hamas officials have said that a unilateral ceasefire by Israel may not necessarily be met by a cessation of hostilities by the Palestinian terror group.
Livni says Hamas had anticipated negotiations on its demands in Cairo, but that’s not going to happen. If it has demands of Egypt, such as those relating to Egypt-Gaza border crossings, it can negotiate with the Egyptians, she says. “We won’t be arguing with them.”
Livni says that rather than working toward a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, Israel has “taken the initiative into our hands” and is seeking an “arrangement against Hamas” with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Egypt. She calls for renewed negotiations with Abbas, whom she calls an appropriate partner for cooperation, to dismantle Hamas control in the Gaza Strip.
She says that when the IDF has finished dealing with the tunnels, which is anticipated in the coming days, people in the south who have moved further north will be able to return.
Asked whether the Hamas leadership can expect to be off-limits once troops are pulled out, and can leave the bunkers they’ve been in since the start of Israel’s operation, Livni replies: “As far as I’m concerned, every terrorist of every rank is a target.”
She says the IDF’s Operation Protective Edge has created new deterrence. “It’s clear to Hamas that Israel used heavy force… They shouldn’t test us again.”
As for the kidnapped soldier, 2nd-Lt. Hadar Goldin, Livni says that “Hamas thinks that kidnapped soldiers are our soft underbelly.” Therefore, “the less we show that underbelly, the less they’ll try to kidnap soldiers.”
@ Ted Belman:
But this would mean stationing foreign troops in the area, would it not?
— Are you comfortable with that prospect?
@ Ted Belman:
The problem isn’t with the concept but with the implementation. No one expects Hamas to take up knitting.
Ted Belman Said:
That’s not the key, that’s the pig that will fly.
Israel does have a very good Home Front Command who issues precise warnings to citizens at any of the many zones of reference.
Since this morning and with some 15 minutes intervals, HFC has issued warnings about incoming rockets.
Sad and very worrisome. Sad again…
Too many to report on each one but so far no casualties.
Many are gradually realizing that in reality is back to page zero. Not one… zero.
There is no way to ferret out what in fact is transpiring other than reports of retreats are in.
SHmuel HaLevi 2 Said:
I know, I know.
Israel is committing slow suicide.
dweller Said:
I agree. I don’t believe for a minute
that they found them all.
The key here is whether the EU and the US are committed to tie rebuilding to demilitarization. No doubt Bibi is counting on it.
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
The IDF is pulling out of built up areas. It will still maintain a presence in Gaza to deter Hamas from trying to rebuild the tunnels. And Israel will be looking at finding technology to detect and uncover them.
@ dweller:
If such news are good news I must recognize Tzahal that apparently found sufficient evidence to confirm that Officer Goldin fell in battle and is not any longer a prisoner.
Thank you Tzahal.
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
Yes; just read somewhere that there could be as many as 5000 of them [!!!]
@ dweller:
It is widely known that by fat not all tunnels are destroyed. In fact a Commission of Inquiry is totted as a way to ferret out at least part of the truth regarding the tunnels from start to now.
Weapons are still reaching Gaza. Fuel, electricity. water, medicines, etc, never ceased flowing from the PTB.
The IDF is leaving in small contingents out of Gaza.
Basically Lebanon II all over again. One good thing. Iron Dome.
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
You’re quite sure of that? — Sisi aint Morsi.
The al-Sisi govt isn’t exactly ‘enchanted’ with Hamas, which it views as the Palestinian stepchild of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Yes, but a lot of that has had to do with the loosening of the blockade restrictions, has it not? — esp for construction material — in the wake of the Mavi Marmora escapade.
— With the tunnels having come front-&-center during Op Protective Edge, it will be hard for the ‘world community’ to ignore what those ‘construction materials’ wound up getting used FOR.
@ dweller:
Arms are flowing in as we speak. Also new equipment.
Egypt will only partially control the border and so far Hamas had no problems arming itself. Getting construction materials, fuel, electricity, water, medical, etc.
Did we hear Netanyahu address those issues?
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
If the blockade remains in place, and the Egyptian tunnels are blocked or busted — where will they get the new arms?
@ Dandaman:
Perhaps, in BB’s view, a crippled Hamas is better than a dead one at this point?
If IDF capped Hamas, the clamor would rise anew to give the ‘moderate’ (and at that point, unchallenged) PA statehood in both Gaza and J/S.
While Hamas remains alive (broken, bloodied, and breathin’ ragged — but alive), the PA can’t lay an incontestable claim to being the ‘sole legitimate representative of the Palestinians,’ etc.
We just got up and further details about Lebanon II, the re issue, are emerging.
The unJews in “command” fund a way to keep on running by declaring Officer Goldin dead. See, he was captured fighting not like Shalit was, reportedly sleeping
We are ferreting our the facts to report them but rest assured that Officer Goldin has been abandoned as they intend to do now in Y & S against all Jews.
Remember that Netanyahu, Peres, Hertzog and others proposed just that not long ago.
@ Max:
No. point blank no!
The unJews sole purpose is their survival, not that of the Jewish people in Eretz Israel.
They much rather RELEASE Islamic murderers than destroy them either by court action or by arms.
The Lebanon II outcome has been repeated as we forecast.
Iran of course saw what it wanted to see.
Another wonderful Israeli Victory!
Can Israel really survive many more of these victories?
@ NormanF:
“The heavy casualties Israel would be taking to rule two million Arabs isn’t worth it.” – The casualties taken wouldn’t be to rule Arabs but to defeat Israel’s enemies and to take possession of Gaza a part of the G-d-given heritage of Israel and to settle it in accordance with Hashem’s will. The heavy casualties now and in the future are the result of the disengagement, and other prior and on-going two-state policies and the refusal to fight by the laws of war Hashem has given versus international law.
“let Gaza be Egypt’s problem” – Sorry but HAMAS will continue to be primarily Israel’s problem until Israel removes them from power and annexes Gaza – i.e. control the ground – no sanctuary for terrorist groups (tactical threats) to grow into armies (strategic threats).
“Hamas loses face because it didn’t get the blockade lifted” – HAMAS will easily manipulate anti-Semites in the press and in governments to help lift or subvert the blockade providing ‘aid for reconstruction’ but it will surely go straight to HAMAS – straight to rebuilding HAMAS into a strategic threat.
“Hamas has lost international legitimacy” – Sorry but this corrupt world was overwhelmingly aiding HAMAS weren’t you paying attention to the slanted press coverage, protests, and the behavior of the US administration – Kerry/Obama, the EU, the UN & UNWRA. In the end HAMAS will force a final fight and it will be utterly destroyed by the IDF. A fight so severe that the hostile population will have to flee hopefully along IDF pre-planned humanitarian routes of escape taking them across the border. Gaza is part of the heritage given to the nation of Israel.
jerrylaury Said:
Same as Afghanistan and Iraq. The nightmare there is just beginning because we are withdrawing.
@ jerrylaury:
Agreed. I seriously doubt they’ve found all the tunnels, either. They’ll have to do this again.
Unfortunately Israel has fallen into the same pattern of fighting wars as the USA. We used to fight wars to win them, as WWII.Germany and Japan were beaten so badly that now almost 70 years later neither country has the will to go to war again. Now, wars are fought to a draw which gives the enemy time to recuperate and regroup for the next onslaught. And that’s exactly what will happen again in Gaza unless both Hamas and the civilian population are so beaten down that they’ve lost the will to fight. The cost to Israel would be immense, but in the long run much cheaper than the continual battles ending in stalemate.
Netanyahu didn’t lie. He never said he would topple Hamas.
That’s the problem right there. But BB has left Israel itself in an awkward position. The terrorists in Gaza can’t control themselves and Israel will soon have to begin to answer their rocket attacks as if nothing happened. Hamas wants martyrdom and granting their wish is the only way to stop them.
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
Netanyahu didn’t lie. He never said he would topple Hamas. The heavy casualties Israel would be taking to rule two million Arabs isn’t worth it. Israel is thinking, let Gaza be Egypt’s problem and if Hamas loses face because it didn’t get the blockade lifted, that’s not Israel’s problem to solve. Let Hamas claim victory – which Arabs do even when they lose. And Hamas has lost international legitimacy and is without leverage to press Israel to give it what it wanted.
gazans should continue to be killed until the soldier is returned. Livni’s comment took no account of the soldiers return or condition, only her strategy as a foreign agent.
Bottom line. Hamas remains there and will fully rearm and claim, well… you guess.
Netanyahu sent to their death how many of our soldiers and how many maimed?
Don’t forget to allow the same aggregate to deal with Iran…