By Ted Belman
PM Netanyahu gave a speech today and pledged to destroy the tunnels with out without a ceasefire.
Haaretz reports on the speech;
“We have so far neutralized dozens of terror tunnels and we are determined to complete this task. Therefore, I will not agree to any cease-fire that does not enable the IDF to complete this very important task. Hamas has been hit hard by both the IDF and the Shin, who are closely coordinated. We have delivered harsh blows to thousands of terror targets, rockets depots, manufacturing sites, and launching sites, and hundreds of terrorists have been killed. These achievements and the operation to neutralize the tunnels are only the first step in demilitarizing the Gaza Strip. The United States and the European Union have accepted our stance, and though it was difficult to achieve, we have done so, through hard work.”
This is what I surmised yesterday in my post Washinton has changed its tune . Nice to see he is confirming it.
This is what lead me believe that a deal was in the works to agree to a cease fire when tunnels are destroyed to parallel demilitarization with the opening of borders and rebuilding of Gaza.
Dan Margalit, writing in Israel Hayom sees a deal as a few days off:
The trio has a hard time settling on an endgame that would let Israel keep its battleground accomplishments while prompting Hamas to halt its fire. The three leaders are also in search of a path that would be compatible with the world’s twisted ethical code, according to which Israel may be right but it must stop exercising its right to self-defense (this is the message coming out of the White House and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s office). Ya’alon and Netanyahu also want to pursue a policy that would meet the demands set by the Right, which has insisted on widening the scope of the operation even though the bang for the buck would be minimal.
[..] When ministers at the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet demanded that Israel conquer more and more land in the Gaza Strip, the military presented them with a casualty estimate. This was enough to silence the ministers inside the room, but not on the airwaves.
H ends with:
The objectives should be met without any fear and without hesitation on our part. It will be time for a cease-fire in a few days. Only then will it be time to end this operation. But if Mashaal refuses, Israel should consider unilateral moves. There is nothing inherently wrong in ending things this way.
@ yamit82:
http://www.horntip.com/html/songs_sorted_by_name/the_piddling_pup.htm
@ yamit82:
Its my wager??? I have to think about that. I don’t plan to loose, it’s not in my nature ,Sugar. I have to think of what you posses that I may want.
http://youtu.be/kn481KcjvMo
@ yamit82
You would by a female dog !!!!!!!!!! Maybe she finds you boring.
honeybee Said:
I read everything but with prejudice. The dog is house trained requires me to take many walks per day even when I don’t want to. Sacrifices, Sacrifices!!!
honeybee Said:
I do not think to allow Hamas, a religious fanatics that strongly desires to wipe Israel off of the face of the earth and kill Jews everywhere based on Koran to survive, would be in Israel’s favor. Egypt has decided to allow all parties to iron out their differences through a discussion to be held most probably with in the next 48 hours. It has decided not to give a guarantee for a cease on behalf the terrorists like it did under Morsi. Unless Hamas is totally disarmed and Gaza is demilitarized, there is possibility for Hamas and other terrorists function to get rid of PA as they are better organized than PA. It is remained to be seen: will all the Palestinian Arab functions be represented by PA or will the Qatari’s or Turkey discuss on behalf of Hamas in Egypt? I hope another diplomatic blunder may not happen by direct discussion with terrorists. If any terrorist shoot out during the cease fire to which all parties agreed,they know IDF will retaliate with an overwhelming force. There won’t be a free lunch any more! The bottom line is: Hamas should not be rearmed but completely disarmed! The difference between PA and Hamas among many factors is mainly on tactics. PA is more diplomatic than Hamas when dealing with Israel. PA did not want peace with Israel when they were given a lot of concessions in the past. It refused to recognize Israel as a Jewish state along with other Arab countries.
Nobody for sure knows whether or not the current humanitarian cease-fire end in chaos or in a potential peace.
Most members of GCC, Egypt, Jordan … want Hamas to be destroyed.
Whatever the outcome of the discussion to be held in Egypt may be, it is good to make sure Hamas won’t be rewarded in any way for its terrorism and should be disarmed and Gaza disarmed. Israel as a sovereign state has a right to demand the terrorists to be disarmed and Gaza demilitarized in order to live in peace in its territory.
Senior infantry officer describes divine protection in Gaza
Givati Brigade commander Ofer Winter says a mysterious cloud shrouded his troops during attack
@ yamit82:
Afraid to wager, oh well !!!!!
yamit82 Said:
I have read a number of times that BB has expressed accptance of the pA at the borders as before hamas took over.yamit82 Said:
I agree. There was a discussion some time back of a plan to keep gaza under the egypt sphere of influence and PA linked to JOrdan. this at the same time as the Jordan confed mooting.
bernard ross Said:
BINGO!!!!!
Watch Iran I don’t know what they can do but they will try something to support Hamas.
bernard ross Said:
Where did you get that from? Everyone knows that Hamas will have their guys behind any PA controlling formally Gaza side of border with Egypt. They are a mafia and do you think they will not be the power behind the scenes? Question is who will control our border with Gaza? and the sea?
Egypt is Key and if they hang tough with Hamas, Hamas may not agree to ceasefire and agreement and the whole thing blows up. In the end Hamas will take over Y&S from Abbas and co. Notice Abbas besides being a figure head without much authority and power is 84 years old and in ill health and no obvious successor. Why anyone would put their marbles in his basket is beyond rational thinking.
Gaza unlike the West Bank and Lebanon is a flat sand strip of land some 68 sq km. it’s only about 10 miles in width bordering on Israel and Egypt. Till Sisi they were supported by Mubarak and Morsi. Sisi is their enemy and that makes it harder for them but not impossible to maintain their military ambitions. There is nowhere for them to go.
If we can control the borders we control Hamas. almost 50% of Gazans are unemployed and also unemployable and a young population where 70% is under the age of 25. I think in time we can dry their swamp if we put the effort into it. The main thing is to keep Gaza separate and distinct from the West Bank. West Bank Arabs hate the Gazans and Gazans hate the Arabs in the WB.
The so called Palis unity government is a clumsy fiction and everybody knows it except maybe Obama and our stupid brain dead Israeli Left.
yamit82 Said:
I dont mean a situation where they all agreed to make the war but I believe that they have told him what their plan is and what they would like him to do on various occasions but that their plans require more from Israel than he is willing to do. I think they have promised Israel certain things as it went along but did not always deliver on their promises and wanted Israel to do more. Like in syria, I think they wanted Israel to go in, and in the peace talks that went nowhere I think that was pre agreed it would not happen and in that situation abbas demanded the prisoners because he and BB knew that abbas could not leave with nothing at the end and live. I think Hamas is trying the same now, to get more from the others. Hamas mainly wants to be able to say it won the dismantling of the blockade. for the last few years hamas has been more of a resistance rhetoric movement than an actual fighting force involved in fighting. If they get plenty of money and employ their members to a police force in gaza, they may accept a new paradigm. i wonder if they have any choice now. However, they need the money and the political credentials. Fatah would also want into the pie.
the more I think about it the more I can see BB not wanting to deal with the mess there and try to fob it off onto the rest of the world.
yamit82 Said:
Great minds follow the same path. Gaza is a Minotaur’s Maze.
yamit82 Said:
I agree, it appears he is mowing the lawn until they all figure out what they want to do with gaza, which is a can of worms for everyone. BB may be making the right decision in the circumstances. Pacifying gaza is a big job, perhaps its better to let them implode and keep them down, especially if Sisi and his backers remain on board in the same way they have so far.
@ yamit82:
Want to wager on it. cowboy.
honeybee Said:
We’ll See? 😛
@ yamit82:
I am thinking that they all wanted Israel to depose and demilitarize hamas and then hand it on a silver platter to abbas.(west, GCC, egypt) I am not thinking a conspiracy but that BB knows that they all want him to give it to abbas. He might or might not be agianst this, I do not know because he is for the PA border control. However, if it was to go to abbas it would make no sense to waste further IDF lives to make abbas job of gaza easier. Plus, perhaps its better to keep them fighting each other and a return to the status quo ante would facilitate that position. In such a scenario Bb might be making the right choice with a withdrawal if he can get the heavy weapons out. If they want a unity gov for a peace deal they will have to first demilitarize gaza as the PA will be in breach of their agreements with Israel if they leave it as is.
bernard ross Said:
Saw his interview on TV. I tend to agree with you. But I still have difficulty ascribbing BB’s moves to conspiracy on his part. He is acting now as he always has and is totally in character for him. In this country it’s an unwritten truth that the IDF tells the government what they are prepared to do and not the other way round. No PM will buck the military if they Nix a policy. The army is loath to fight an urban war in a place like Gaza especially when they have the wherewithal to level it with firepower. For Israel to lose 60 soldiers is the same as the USA Losing 600.
@ bernard ross:
The momentum and picture seems to be to replace Hamas with Abbas and the PA, the original and lawful authority back in Gaza. Defeating Hamas would be costly. Let me explain this: If Israel had originally declared it’s aim the overthrow and elimination of Hamas in Gaza and gone in and done it I would have agreed. But we squandered almost a month andhave almost 60 dead and some 200 wounded some quite seriously and have only impregnated Gaza by 2-3 KM. To take on the heads of Hamas now would mean we lose too many soldiers and would require killing many more thousands of Gazans. To start now with that aim seems like too negative an operation for little Israel to cope with.
I figure sooner or later Hamas will off Abbas and take over the PA in Y&S. That’s not so bad it would end once and for all a 2 state solution.
Hamas in Gaza will be very occupied with reconstruction and Abbas will have to take on the daunting job of providing all the services of Gaza. If Israel took over Gaza the ttotal costs of rehabilitation will fall on us. So far this war has cost Israel some 10 billion shekels and counting without inheriting the Gaza costs on top of our own.
So I have reevaluated and changed my opinion that a degraded Hamas without a major National Backer like Egypt still in control of Gaza is the best option for the time being. The military option is always open to us and may still be employed but All I have heard for the past 4 weeks is the left howling for a diplomatic solution centered with Abbas and the PA being key player. A fantasy but a dangerous one.
Hamas unity with Abbas government especially after this war will block Israel from acceding to a 2 state solution and considering Abbas has moved towards Hamas the public won’t accept this solution.
The public and BB’s opposition may demand his head and the government may fall including and especially BB.
Unlike you I don’t thing this situation was planned by BB and Israel he ain’t that good. He has never been that clever but his hapless operation may have been the right ones even if it wasn’t planned to work out that way…
The details and the behavior of Hamas in the coming negotiations will determine BB’s future. Hamas has already declared they will not accept any agreement that require them to disarm their rockets and tunnels and to disband their militia. That was a condition of Oslo giving Gaza to Arafat.
They had hoped that Israel would do that job for them and then hand it to abbas on a silver platter. I think BB knew they would force him to give it to Abbas and therefore decided not to expend more lives for that which would not benefit israel. He did not want israeli soldiers dying for Abbas.
@ AbbaGuutuu:
Israelis will remain in place and Hamas will shoot rockets.
The statement from UN & US says the forces remain in place. It is not clear whether or not IDF will be allowed to destroy the tunnels during the 72 hours cease-fire (with a potential to be extended). The Egyptian Foreign Minister has invited Abbas and others to go to Egypt.
@ yamit82:
” The Guardian” do you read that paper or do you use it for Dagmar to piss on. Fox beat them to them news by hours. It means Hamas is on the run and they have been a rest pet.
Gaza: Israel and Hamas agree to 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire
The United States and United Nations have announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a humanitarian ceasefire to start Friday morning for 72 hours.
In a joint statement, the US and UN said they had received assurances that all parties to the conflict had agreed to an unconditional ceasefire during which there would be negotiations on a more durable truce.
The statement was released in Delhi, where US secretary of state John Kerry is meeting with Indian officials.
The statement read:
This humanitarian ceasefire will commence at 8 am local time on Friday, August 1, 2014. It will last for a period of 72 hours unless extended.
During this time the forces on the ground will remain in place.We urge all parties to act with restraint until this humanitarian ceasefire begins, and to fully abide by their commitments during the ceasefire.
This ceasefire is critical to giving innocent civilians a much-needed reprieve from violence. During this period, civilians in Gaza will receive urgently needed humanitarian relief, and the opportunity to carry out vital functions, including burying the dead, taking care of the injured, and restocking food supplies. Overdue repairs on essential water and energy infrastructure could also continue during this period.
Israeli and Palestinian delegations will immediately be going to Cairo for negotiations with the Government of Egypt, at the invitation of Egypt, aimed at reaching a durable ceasefire. The parties will be able to raise all issues of concern in these negotiations.
We thank key regional stakeholders for their vital support of this process, and count on a continued collaborative international effort to assist Egypt and the parties reach a durable ceasefire as soon as possible.
More details soon …
US and UN announce that both parties have agreed to an unconditional ceasefire to start Friday morning
You used to call for hamas destruction, why the change?
I have read this option mooted today. But isn’t this just a return to status quo ante, after mowing the lawn again? Is it that you prefer a weakened hamas rule to a PA rule and a unity gov? Perhaps this is also BB dilemma. Perhaps the west wanted him to go in harder and depose hamas to pave the way for abbas. I heard the same wrt the lebanese war with hezbullah, that the US wanted Israel to destroy hezbullah quickly and were angry when thy did not commit the ground troops. I would not be surprised as I would not trust any rhetoric, which often means the opposite..
There is breaking news: There will be a cease-fire for 72 hours initiated by UN and US effective tomorrow 8 AM local time according to CNN.
@ bernard ross:
A- Israel foiled a Hamas coup legal or otherwise when we picked up and jailed all of the Hamas leadership and second teir operatives in Y&S after the 3 kids got kidnapped and murdered. That was the spark that set Hamas off.
B- All Israeli experts claim Hamas is still the most popular Palis faction in Y&S and would win the coming election to be held in 5 months. Israel in fact preempted that eventuality saving Abbas and the current PA.
C_ Abbas the moderate has not reneged or voided his unity deal with Hamas and in fact has defended Hamas and taken positions in line with those of Hamas in the past couple of weeks. Two problems he has no power, no constituency and is looked upon by most Palis as an Israeli stooge. Today he is dependent on Egypt mostly and Israel to keep him in power.
D- If the donor money is filtered through Abbas they will after they take a big cut for themselves find a way to funnel most of the rest to Hamas which is part of the Palis unity government.
E- Hamas without weapons and killing Jews would in fact cease to be Hamas and that ain’t going to happen.
Iran will still try to find ways and means to supply Rocket (improved with GPS and longer ranger and payloads) to Hamas even upgrading their home made rocket cottage industry in rocket making. They have achieved a certain competence and will in time improve.
F- After 25-30 years of intensive Islamic radical indoctrination Even if we take all of Gaza Hamas will still exist. They are the equivalent of the mafia or organized crime with a violent ideology where anyone who looks crossed eyed is eliminated violently. Abbas does not have a chance in hell and neither does Dahlan. Hamas does not want the responsibility of running a state and dealing with mundane problems of providing for and maintaining an organized civil society they are no different than Al-Qaeda or any of the current rogues gallery of militant Islamic groups. They exist to eliminate Israel from the ME and to kill all the Jews. Abbas needs them and they need Abbas for the moment each for their own purposes. I saw with my own eyes what Hamas did to Dahlan and his supporters. They shot them in cold blood, Chopped their heads off and threw them off the tallest buildings in Gaza then dragged their bodies on parade through the streets of Gaza.
Abbas has since never set foot in Gaza and Dahlan disappeared from public view in Egypt.
Speaking of their return to Gaza is a joke. They actually hoped Israel would do their dirty work for them and bring Hamas down for them…
Best thing for Israel at this point is to leave Gaza without an agreement and keep the status quo and leave our military options open. That said, our policy should be like that of area A&B in Y&S active intervention when necessary and preemption always. Hit them hard whenever they show their heads. To come to unwritten understanding that we won’t tolerate a return to the situation before this war began and since Gaza is not a country they have no international protection as a sovereign legal nation. Make them pay for any services they take from us or shut them down. Egypt will hold them from easily reestablishing their military.
The undeclared alliance of Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco and Saudis will cancel the Turks and Qatar support of Hamas.
Cease fire will not be possible until the IDF determines that all tunnels found are destroyed and other goals (unstated requiring ground troops) are accomplished. We will then pull back to border or near it so as not to expose troops in the middle of built up areas while they are in static positions.
The current US Administration is on the wrong side of history. It is siding with a true criminals:MB, Hamas, Qatar, Turkey and Iran.
Is there any possibility for Israel to withstand such evil pressures from the so called friends and usual hostility from UN in order to exist as a sovereign nation (which is its legal and basic right)? If it doesn’t resist its enemies such as Hamas now then when?
“Any individual who provides material support to a designated terrorist group such as Hamas commits a crime under the United States Penal law and the laws of several European countries. If Hamas were ever to be convicted of war crimes by the International Criminal Court, as it may well be, any individual who was an accessory to such crimes would be guilty as well. It is entirely fair, therefore, to describe Qatar as a criminal regime, guilty of accessory to mass murder.
In some ways Turkey is even worse. Its erratic prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has incited anti-Semitism, provoked conflict with Israel, provided material support to Hamas and undercut efforts to achieve a realistic end to the Gaza War. He has demanded that his Jewish subjects do his bidding, telling “our Jewish citizens’ leaders” that they must “adopt a firm stance and release a statement against the Israeli government.” He has suggested that if they fail to do so they will not be regarded as “good Turks,” thus raising the old canard of “dual loyalty.”
Read more at: http://mail.aol.com/38683-016/aol-6/en-us/mail/DisplayMessage.aspx?ws_popup=true
@ bernard ross:
but do you think they will?
ever?
As long as the same principals remain intact in their positions… I’d say the chances are
Ooooh , I dunno’… Slim to none?
yamit82 Said:
israel should insist on a transparent 3rd party distributor of the funds with strict limitations of use and inspection.
Win is win ,
lose is lose.
Hamas survives – it’s a win.
Hamas knows his.
The Western World is ignorant of this.
the phoenix Said:
whatever their motive they must be disappointed as their money has resulted in failure and wasting, and their narratives should no longer have any wings. its laughable to mention a starving gaza after seeing all the money they put into the tunnels. In the future when these absurd narratives are declared Israel should say:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA 😛 😛 😛
“There is growing concern in Ramallah, Cairo, Riyadh and Dubai that the U.S. Administration is working to prevent the collapse of Hamas.
“The Americans mistakenly think that moderate political Islam, which is represented by the Muslim Brotherhood, will be able to combat radical Islam. The Americans are trying to bring the Muslim Brotherhood back to the region.” — Palestinian official, Ramallah.
The Iranians, with whom the U.S. is now negotiating on nuclear weapons — amid fears in the Middle East that the U.S. will capitulate to Tehran’s demands if it has not effectively capitulated to them already — have now joined Qatar and Turkey in opposing any attempt to confiscate Hamas’s weapons.
The Paris conference was actually a spit in the face to the anti-Hamas forces in the Arab world. By failing to invite the Palestinian Authority to the conference, Kerry indicated that he does not see any role for Abbas and his loyalists in a post-Hamas Gaza Strip.”
Read more at: http://mail.aol.com/38683-016/aol-6/en-us/mail/DisplayMessage.aspx?ws_popup=true
@ bernard ross:
considering the PURPOSE of the tunnels, I’d say they must feel pretty good…
yamit82 Said:
I wonder how the euros feel about all their money going to these tunnels
yamit82 Said:
Do you think Hamas would remain in power or PA could overtake by having Hamas marginalized?
@ yamit82:
Do you feel betrayed ??
@ yamit82:
the deal looks pretty much as i predicted
with abbas in charge of borders and a unity gov declared I expect hamas will be demilitarized in accordance with PA agreements with israel but the details remain to be negotiated. I expect hamas is playing spoiler holding out for its best deal. I doubt they want any responsibility for the running of gaza. All this is about maintaining face for a political future and maintaining a hand in the inflow of money to come. I am still curious as to the Egyptian influence and talk of dahlan. Is it possible that hamas, Israel and egypt want dahlan in gaza to counter unity with PA?
if this is the deal, and BB did not expect any more than this, I can see why he would not have risked more lives.
@ bernard ross:
The deal is:… as soon as Israel declares tunnel search and destroy operation is complete Israel will move the IDF behind the border fence.. A three day truce will be declared and details of open Border of Egypt and Hamas will be agreed upon and that should end this round. Hamas will get something they wanted but not everything. Egypt wants Abbas to control his border crossing. Hamas out of no choice will agree but they will have their guy standing behind Abas’s people with a AK-47 pointed at their heads. If it happens it will be a sham and business as usual for Hamas.
Biggest problem is how to ensure rebuilding aid goes to civilian rebuilding and not into Hamas projects like Tunnels.
Mosab Hassan Yousef (Son of Hamas Founder) tells the truth about Hamas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KakxXN5Z-XI
30/07/2014
IDF operations and the laws of war
Mina Tzemach Poll on 27/07/2014: 86.5% of Israelis oppose ceasefire.
29/07/2014
Channel 10/Sarid Institute poll: 87 per cent support continuing operation
Poll: 85% of Israeli Jews want to keep fighting
Most want Gaza operation to destroy Hamas rockets and tunnels, University of Haifa survey finds
By Andrew Tobin July 31, 2014, 7:37 pm
SHmuel HaLevi 2 Said:
You are right! If a shred of Hamas remains, it would set a dangerous precedent and potential to make Y& S to be like Gaza. Hamas could also get more help from Qatar, Turkey and Iran and North Korea.
Allowing Hamas to survive at this opportune moment amounts to committing a suicide. There is a window of opportunity to destroy Hamas and its infrastructures now as PA failed to have a resolution to condemn Israel passed by the UN Security Council. The resolution was changed to a statement due to lack of support by some countries.
SHmuel HaLevi 2 Said:
thanks for this perspective
SHmuel HaLevi 2 Said:
I’ll trade you the land for a oil well. Glad to see you’re still kicking.
@ bernard ross:
A good friend of ours, a fellow who is part of a family from one of the Arab Villages nearby just left after a visit. We talked about Gaza of course and I wish you would have heard him. He is admant NOT to have Hamas in any way remain there and giving Abbas figurative control.
Within months HAMAS would retake control if not sooner.
Netanyahu’s plans are unchanged and are virulently anti- Jewish as expressed by today’s demolition of a new settlement in Y & S and plans to do the same to another one set up in memory of the three boys murdered by Hamas.
did you include giving it to abbas? this sounds like exactly what i have been saying without the giving of gaza to abas,(under the disguise of a unity gov). a unity gov under the pa requires a demilitarization under PA agreements. I would think that abbas prefers Israel demilitarize gaza for him. I think its a case where everyone pretends to be against something but they are actually for it. Abbas wants a free and clear gaza for his PA, and the west wants the PA in charge to move forward with their unity gov. Knowing this outcome, BB does not want to spend more soldiers lives to achieve no more for Israel at the end.
POV Footage of Special Forces Storming Building in Gaza
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pywx1rRXbHU
If anyone again believe the speechster’s blabber, I have a couple of lots in Pluto for sale cheap.
If even a shred of HAMAS remain in place in Gaza or anywhere else a short while after they will turn into another Hezbollah. And the EU will help them and so will Mr. Obama.