Hamas’ cease-fire ‘counteroffer’ is a demand for – Latest News
Hamas on Saturday introduced it had “responded to” the newest ceasefire proposal from US envoy Steve Witkoff, apparently searching for assurances that Israel gained’t merely go back to eliminating it when the 60-day pause is up.
Reality examine: The terrorists are solely speaking as a result of they’re shedding, badly — shedding no matter assist that they had from abnormal Gazans in addition to militarily.
Hamas’ important hope is to one way or the other manipulate Team Trump’s peace efforts into a license to outlive — to one way or the other have the struggle finish with it intact in Gaza, nonetheless in energy and with its sponsors and enablers again resupplying it.
To that finish, it goals to leverage President Donald Trump’s hopes to finish the bloodshed in addition to:
Israeli public opinion, embody the deep need to recuperate the 20 or so nonetheless dwelling hostages in addition to the stays of the handfuls who’ve died in captivity, plus basic war-weariness and partisan opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition
Sympathy for its different hostages: Gaza’s 2 million civilians. Hamas has by no means cared a whit for their lives or well-being, besides as potential recruits, human shields and purpose for an inflow of assist that the terrorists can siphon off for their use. It will fortunately martyr all or any of them for the trigger of destroying Israel — even because it pretends to make concessions of their title to serve its true agenda.
Its de facto fifth column all throughout the West, together with the “tentifada” fanatics and fools on Columbia and different campuses, and all of the politicians and media figures who buy the terrorists’ propaganda.
The dogged self-deception of the worldwide “peace process” veterans, nonetheless imagining that a “two-state solution” is the important thing to resolving all of the area’s conflicts — an “answer” that’s now a full fantasy that disregards each development of the final three a long time.
Arab rulers’ lack of ability to easily abandon a long time of anti-Israel propaganda regardless that they (principally) acknowledge it no longer serves their most pressing wants.
Israel’s present offensive has already taken out tons of more Hamas fighters and one more spherical of management, together with the final Sinwar. The IDF is poised to take full control of Gaza, clear the ultimate bunkers and tunnels and crush the remaining terror brigades.
And Jerusalem has cut off Hamas’ resupply, refusing to permit assist to enter Gaza with out firm controls that guarantee it goes straight to civilians.
Not permitting the terrorists to seize it — and to charge civilians for entry to any of it — has helped flip the tide of public opinion: Ordinary Gazans more and more know the struggle continues solely as a result of Hamas gained’t give up and even negotiate a departure of its remaining forces.
Witkoff’s newest offer would have Hamas flip over 10 dwelling hostages and a dozen or two our bodies, in exchange for 125 terrorists serving life sentences plus one other 1,000-plus jailbirds and a 60-day ceasefire and ongoing talks towards a full peace settlement.
But Hamas is aware of full nicely that Netanyahu gained’t finish the struggle till the terrorists are all useless, surrendered or expelled from Gaza: He refuses to permit for any risk of one other Oct. 7, and Israeli public opinion thus far helps him.
So the fear group’s counteroffer is to demand some variety of guarantee that Washington gained’t let the IDF resume operations when the 60 days are up, in addition to the resumption of assist coming into below UN or comparable auspices, with out Israeli controls.
As issues stand, Hamas is toast within months.
To get hostages returned, Israel will permit it a respite — and so risk some development (Netanyahu’s ouster, a drastic shift within the area, Washington concluding it wants the struggle ended; who is aware of?) that might let the fear group dangle on in Gaza.
Unless Team Trump decides to overrule Israel’s unchanged struggle targets, Hamas should settle for that hope of a lifeline, or no deal is taking place.
